The Dominican community of St. Agnese was founded extra mœnia in the first half of the 13th century in Fondiano where, in 1494, it underwent the devastation by a group of exilies from Spoleto who burned down the monastery causing the death of numerous religiouses. The eight survivors found refuge at the birthplace of the Beata Colomba da Rieti (1467-1501) in Via della Collina, where they rebuilt the monastery that soon became a cloistered monastery.

The monastic complex developed by adding adjacent houses and orchard gardens to the original nucleus, later incorporating the buildings all around. Many of the materials that survived the destruction were reused in the new building: among these, the stone portal adapted on the façade of the church, whose lunette was painted by Bartolomeo Torresani with images of the Madonna in majesty, St. Agnese and St. Pietro Martire. The church, with a single nave, set up in its present form around the middle of the 18th century, has a valuable counter façade choir stall. The luminous scene of the Gloria della beata Colomba on the ceiling is by Emanuele Alfani.