The monastery was initially founded in the 11th century. It was reconstructed in the 16th century to take on the present layout with two cloisters. The design is attributed to Pietro Isabello. The frescoes (1624) in the
refectory were painted by
Giovanni Battista Lorenzetti. Starting in 1684, the church was reconstructed by the architect
Domenico Messi. He also designed the marble façade was begun in 1688. The
nave ceiling has frescoes depicting the
Scenes from the life of Saints Paul and Benedict (1712–1713) by Giulio Quaglio (presumably
Giulio Quaglio the Younger). The polychrome marble altars in the church were constructed (1692–1707) by Antonio and Domenico Corbarelli from Brescia. The
four evangelists in niches of the facade were sculpted by Santo Callegari il Vecchio. The main altar (1716) was built by the Corbarelli, but has sculptures by the studio of
Andrea Fantoni. In the first chapel on the left is an altarpiece depicting
St Andrew with Saints John the Evangelist, Pantaleone, and Lucy (1703) by
Antonio Molinari. The flanking walls have canvases depicting the
Martyrdom of St John the Evangelist and
St Andrew prays to the Cross of Martyrdom, both from 1728, painted by
Giuseppe Maria Crespi. The second chapel on the left has two oval canvases (1727) depicting events that could be linked to the theme of the eucharist: the
Gathering of Manna and
Melchizedek offers bread and wine to God by
Paolo de Matteis. The third chapel on left, houses a
St Gregory the Great prays for liberation from the Plague (1698) by
Domenico Carretti, and two canvases depicting
St Gregory receives Jesus and
St Gregory shows the faithful his bloody corporal, both from 1729, by
Antonio Balestra. The front chapel houses a painting depicting
St Benedict giving St Maurus the Benedictine Rules with Saints Placidus and Scholastica (1692) by
Gregorio Lazzarini. This is flanked by two canvases depicting
St Maurus rescues St Placidus from the water on commands from St Benedict and
St Maurus heals the Sick by
Sebastiano Ricci. In the central chapel at right are two oval canvases (1728) depicting the
Sacrifice of Isaac and
The Bronze Serpent by
Paolo de Matteis. In the first chapel on right is an altarpiece depicting
St Alexander decapitated with Saints Grata, Fermo, Rustico, and Antony (1704) by
Antonio Bellucci. On the lateral walls are two canvases (1729) depicting
Saints Fermo and Rustico in Prison and the
Martrydom of St Alexander by
Giuseppe Maria Crespi. ==References==