The church and adjoining convent (of which only the southern wing remains, following the demolition of 1937 to build the modern State Offices) were founded in 1221 by Benedictine monks. The Dominican complex, dating back to 1571, was the seat of the father inquisitor and was home to a rich library. The church was rebuilt in the first half of the seventeenth century, while the facade dates back to 1897.