 Lead by Porzia Massimo whose late husband was a Conti, from 1574 they successively acquired parts of properties belonging to the Conti family at Magnanapoli to establish their convent there, financially assisted by Pope Gregory XIII.The originally small community thrived and quickly expanded from 27 nuns in 1574 to 108 in 1626, many of whom from important noble families.The construction of a church began in 1608, initially at expense of Cardinal Scipione Borghese to a design by Carlo Maderno, but stopped in 1613.