Founded in 1200 by the Eremitani and suppressed in 1797 with the arrival of the Napoleonic troops, the large complex today partly houses some university faculties, partly is awaiting renovation.
The church has a late Gothic façade with two large arched four-light windows, a round-arched portal and a statue of St. Augustine at the top (the convent was rebuilt in 1400 by the Augustinians).
The complex is very impressive also because it occupies the central area of the ramparts, from which you can admire a spectacular view of the Bergamo hills. The monastery was not demolished during the construction of the walls against a fair amount paid in gold ducats and land to the Venetian authority, which modified the initial layout of the walls. Later it was discovered that in any case the layout of the walls should have been modified due to the rocky substrate on which the monastery was built. Founded around 1290 by the Eremitani fathers, it passed in 1407 to the Osservanti Regolari di Sant’Agostino who, starting from 1443, carried out important restorations and structural changes, such as the reconstruction of the church and the construction of the first cloister. Due to the presence of distinguished scholars among the Augustinian fathers, the complex is the seat of an important religious and cultural center; in 1647 the Accademia degli Excitati was located there, founded in 1642 by a group of scholars, including Bonifacio Agliardi, Clemente Rivola and Donato Calvi, who carried out mainly literary activities. In 1670, schools of philosophy and theology were opened.
In 1572 a structure was built to the north, leaning against the second cloister, which served as accommodation for the approximately 100 soldiers who had to defend the nearby gate and the bastion of Sant’Agostino. Suppressed in 1797, devastated and sacked, the monastery was transformed into a barracks until 1966 when it was acquired by the Municipality and used, after some restorations, as a venue for exhibitions, cultural events and, more recently, the University.
The monastery and the adjoining former church have never changed their destination: they have always been dedicated to culture.
In fact, the complex, founded around 1290 by the Eremitani fathers and passed in 1407 to the Regular Observants (both belonging to the monastic order of St. Augustine), soon became the seat of an important center of religious and cultural studies.
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