The San Sepolcro Olivetano monastery was built on the project of the architect Alessio Tramello from Piacenza, between 1502 and 1521 appointed by the abbot Gian Antonio Codazzi.
From November 1503, Tramello erected in two years the dormitory and the rooms along the corridor. He built “la libraria” library, a cloister and a sacristy where monks celebrated mass as the church was being completed. The abbot also wanted some utility rooms such as stables and a wall enclosing the garden, with an eye to the aesthetic appearance of the monastery.
In1498, the city administrators allowed the monastery responsible to enclose their own land with a wall.
From 1796 to 1799 the monastery was occupied by French soldiers, who used the church as military hospital. After Napoleon suppressed monasteries in 1810, , the church was handed over to Austrians.
Civil Hospitals in Piacenza managed to use the church in 1831 as military hospital. On January 1st, 1817 Parma administration assigned to Civil Hospitals the property of the monastery, which became part of Piacenza hospital the year after.
Following a bequest from Mandelli marquis, part of the monastery housed chronic patients and, later on, became geriatric department for the Civil Hospital (now called “Guglielmo da Saliceto”).
The building now houses some Operative units related to the General Administration of the Healthcare local system (Azienda USL).
In the centre of the building there is the “column room” (sala delle colonne) with the Hospital Historical Library. Here, apart from a series of portraits and sculptures, there are more than 6,000 precious volumes, some of which date back to the beginning of the sixteenth century. The room is now used for meetings, training courses and conventions.