Chior at back of main altar in the Church.

Between 1492 and 1496, a group of Benedictine nuns came from Mdina to open up a Monastery in Vittoriosa. They went back to Mdina in 1572 but returned to Vittoriosa in 1604, when they resided at the Magisterial Palace. During its stay there, the Community repeatedly complained about the inadequacy of these premises until in 1643 the community, numbering 62 nuns, moved to the vacated Holy Infirmary, converting it into a Monastery.

Since then, various alterations and additions were carried out to the building and the nuns have remained there ever since – except for short spells during the French occupation and World War II when they withdrew to Valletta. In 1679 the Chapel of St Anne, commonly known as Santa Scolastica, and part of the Monastery were rebuilt. The relics of the martyr Santa Veneranda were brought from Rome in 1728 to be venerated in the Church which was consecrated in 1788.

The Chapel holds one of the best works by Mattia Preti, depicting St Benedict and Santa Scolastica with Our Lady, as well as a set of rich tapestries and old silverware that was donated to the Monastery by Ludovica Dorell who also financed the rebuilding of the Chapel.

			Main Staircase
Staircase	The Refectory