The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the architectural story of the San Laz­zaro complex, starting from an analysis of the island at the time of the in­stal­lation by the monastic community led by Mechitar.

The reconstruction strategy developed by Mechitar is based on an in­tel­li­gent reuse of pre-existing buildings and the transformation of the remains of a leper colony in a Benedictine monastery. Only the in-depth knowledge of these pre-existences, the study of unpublished documents and the analysis of the Me­chitar project can explain the organization of the monastery's spaces in relation to the functions. In this way it will be possible investigate the architectural cul­ture of the abbot-architect Mechitar