The San Benedetto Monastery complex, which includes the monastery and the church, is located just below the Venetian walls, in what was once the Santo Stefano borough, is today Via S. Alessandro.
Its origins have no certain date but it is known that the local Benedictine communities of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Maria in Valmarina, decimated in the XIII century by plagues and famines, united to survive and towards the end of 1493 they officially settled in Borgo Santo Stefano.
Before this date, there is little documented information. It is known that a small church was erected in 1448, dedicated three years later to St. Benedict; architectural traces of it remain on the side of Via S. Alessandro. After 1493 the community grew rapidly and on June 18, 1504 came to include 28 nuns: this led to an expansion of the complex. In 1504 construction of the new church began; already in 1516 it appeared that restoration was necessary, due to the subsidence of a wall. The new project was entrusted to the Bergamo architect Pietro Cleri known as Isabello, who had already been responsible for the renovation of the nuns' inner chapel, frescoed in the years 1510-15 by Jacopino de' Scipioni and workshop, later transformed into the major sacristy.
During the 18th century the church experienced further changes but, with the advent of the Cisalpine Republic in 1797 and the suppression of religious orders, the monastery was suddenly closed and its liturgical furnishings-including a silver altar, vestments and numerous furnishings-were requisitioned by the Napoleonic authority. The altarpieces suffered the same fate, in fact both Gianbattista Moroni's Assunta and Calisto Piazza's S. Stefano were transferred to the Brera Museum.
Despite the situation, the nuns were able to remain living in the monastery, albeit with a very limited community life. The monastery became one again, in name and in fact, with its restoration on May 10, 1827.
In much more recent times, the monastery has returned to reveal details of its history thanks to some work on the floor carried out in the 1980s. In fact, several tombs were found under the floor of the church: the abbesses and prioresses under the high altar, the nuns along the gate on the east side, and several lay people in other areas. The remains were united in a single burial ground, which is now clearly visible thanks to the new white and red Verona marble flooring.
San Benedetto cloister
Along Via S. Alessandro opens the porticoed cloister of San Benedetto, which presents itself as an elegant entrance to the Monastery. Made by Pietro Isabello, it has a rectangular plan on six round arches, supported on three sides by sandstone columns. In the twelve lunettes, many sixteenth-century frescoes by Cristoforo Baschenis 'the Young' stand out, retracing the life of San Benedetto.
The cloister constitutes the passage between the exterior of the structure and the large monastic complex, which also has direct access to the church.
The church
The church still retains its sixteenth-century character and has a main facade and a side tripartite by pilasters; in the centre of the main façade stands an architraved portal, surmounted by a small tympanum. The building has a central plan and a dome enclosed in an octagonal lantern.
Inside, the cloistered nuns have the opportunity to follow mass from the top of the choir, enclosed by a wooden barrier and placed above the elegant portico.
In the presbytery, several noteworthy works of art are conserved, such as a Madonna with Child and the altarpiece with The Miracle of the water gushing from the ark of the saints Fermo, Rustico and Procolo, both by Cavagna. Once inside, it is absolutely worth looking up and admiring the frescoed dome, which presents scenes from Benedictine life.
The San Benedetto Monastery complex, which includes the monastery and the church, is located just below the Venetian walls, in what was once the Santo Stefano borough, is today Via S. Alessandro.
Its origins have no certain date but it is known that the local Benedictine communities of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Maria in Valmarina, decimated in the XIII century by plagues and famines, united to survive and towards the end of 1493 they officially settled in Borgo Santo Stefano.
Before this date, there is little documented information. It is known that a small church was erected in 1448, dedicated three years later to St. Benedict; architectural traces of it remain on the side of Via S. Alessandro. After 1493 the community grew rapidly and on June 18, 1504 came to include 28 nuns: this led to an expansion of the complex. In 1504 construction of the new church began; already in 1516 it appeared that restoration was necessary, due to the subsidence of a wall. The new project was entrusted to the Bergamo architect Pietro Cleri known as Isabello, who had already been responsible for the renovation of the nuns' inner chapel, frescoed in the years 1510-15 by Jacopino de' Scipioni and workshop, later transformed into the major sacristy.
During the 18th century the church experienced further changes but, with the advent of the Cisalpine Republic in 1797 and the suppression of religious orders, the monastery was suddenly closed and its liturgical furnishings-including a silver altar, vestments and numerous furnishings-were requisitioned by the Napoleonic authority. The altarpieces suffered the same fate, in fact both Gianbattista Moroni's Assunta and Calisto Piazza's S. Stefano were transferred to the Brera Museum.
Despite the situation, the nuns were able to remain living in the monastery, albeit with a very limited community life. The monastery became one again, in name and in fact, with its restoration on May 10, 1827.
In much more recent times, the monastery has returned to reveal details of its history thanks to some work on the floor carried out in the 1980s. In fact, several tombs were found under the floor of the church: the abbesses and prioresses under the high altar, the nuns along the gate on the east side, and several lay people in other areas. The remains were united in a single burial ground, which is now clearly visible thanks to the new white and red Verona marble flooring.
San Benedetto cloister
Along Via S. Alessandro opens the porticoed cloister of San Benedetto, which presents itself as an elegant entrance to the Monastery. Made by Pietro Isabello, it has a rectangular plan on six round arches, supported on three sides by sandstone columns. In the twelve lunettes, many sixteenth-century frescoes by Cristoforo Baschenis 'the Young' stand out, retracing the life of San Benedetto.
The cloister constitutes the passage between the exterior of the structure and the large monastic complex, which also has direct access to the church.
The church
The church still retains its sixteenth-century character and has a main facade and a side tripartite by pilasters; in the centre of the main façade stands an architraved portal, surmounted by a small tympanum. The building has a central plan and a dome enclosed in an octagonal lantern.
Inside, the cloistered nuns have the opportunity to follow mass from the top of the choir, enclosed by a wooden barrier and placed above the elegant portico.
In the presbytery, several noteworthy works of art are conserved, such as a Madonna with Child and the altarpiece with The Miracle of the water gushing from the ark of the saints Fermo, Rustico and Procolo, both by Cavagna. Once inside, it is absolutely worth looking up and admiring the frescoed dome, which presents scenes from Benedictine life.
