ased
on data taken from ancient publications, this
monastery should have been settled on the foundation
of a previous building: an abbey or a church
of Saint Innocents.
It seems that the monastery building was made
under the patronage of the Dominican bishop
of Bergamo: friar Erbordo Ungaro (1260-72) or
even after the initiative of the previous bishop,
the Dominican friar Algisio da Rosate (1251-58),
provided that one consider the year 1258 as
the year in which constructions were started.
As the foundation year is missing, the most
ancient document is the one stating the dedication
of the Church made by the bishop Guiscardo Suardi,
on 25th March 1273.
Enlarged thanks to the adding of other convents
of nuns, the Matris Domini Monastery should
have been built anew, both as a monastery and
as a church in 1359.
Other restorations were made too in XVI century;
between 1606 and 1670 extension and embellishment
works were performed and the Church was remade
and adorned with stuccoes.
Further extensions of the perimeter external
to the enclosure area were made between 1747
and 1750 plus some touch-ups within the church.
In 1797, the Cisalpine Republic suppressed the
Monastery, expropriating it from all its wealth.
However, it allowed that nuns could go on living
in its premises together with sisters of other
suppressed convents.
In
1832 the Austrians turned it into a military
hospital and in 1835 it was open again to the
religious practices. Some restorations in the
chapels of the convent seem to resort to 1890
and some further works to the church resort
to 1902. During the second world war, in 1944,
a part of the building was requisitioned by
the German command, which turned it into a political
prison.
Located in the downtown of Bergamo, the Monastery
wants to express to all people its function
of memory of God, remembering the fundamental
need of God in the heart of every person. The
vitality that the contemplative life irradiates
on the town wants to be also a reference point
for the human life of faith and prayer of all
people.
To-day the Matris Domini Monastery is a location
of life, silence and contemplative prayer which
incarnated Saint Dominick charisma in its everyday
life.
The
nuns are engaged in co-operating to the building
of the Kingdom of God, so that the world may
discover the essential values which allow all
people to find their realisation. In the theological
and cultural research, as well as in spirituality,
the nuns realise their apostolic vocation and
create within the Monastery a context where
the mutual life has the priority.
Within the Monastery, they live simply and soberly,
but their life is full with the desire to help
other people to discover or get reconfirmed
in their interior freedom. The work is made
by different tasks and allows every nun to co-operate
in implementing the mutual good, mutually searching
the face of Christ. 
Giorni
feriali
ore 6.10: ufficio delle letture e lodi
ore
7.00: s. Messa
ore
8.20: ora media
ore 11.45: rosario e ora media
ore
15.00: ora media
ore 18.00: vespri
Giorni
festivi
ore
7.00: lodi
ore
8.20: ora media - Terza
ore
11.45: rosario e ora media
ore
15.00: ora media
ore
17.30: vespriore
18.00: s. Messa
