Although the Gothic Revival church building is relatively new and completed in 1931 using designs by Eugenio Maestri, worship at the site has medieval roots.

In the early 13th-century, the site hosted a hospice, staffed by a group of Clarissan nuns, which had been established by St Francis of Assisi himself in 1227.

On June 13, 1231, en route to Padua, Antonio, a follower of St Francis, fell ill and died on this site.

The present Sanctuary was designed under the patronage of Paduan Giovanni Battista Trevisan: his project rebuilt or enlarged the previous construction completed in 1842 in Neoclassical style.

It was characterized by the imposing Corinthian portico raised on a high basement and twin bell towers, which flanked the narrow nave.