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The monumental complex, usually called by the lizards Convent of San Pasquale, insists on an area that in Roman times housed a pagan sanctuary, probably dedicated to the goddess Minerva.
In the early 15th century Brother Giovanni Vici da Stroncone, belonging to the Order of Observant Friars Minor, founded the church and the convent dedicating them to the Most Holy Saviour. In 1625 the Reformed friars occupied the complex, driving out the Observants. With the Reformed the convent became a center of theological studies, providing a vast and important library. In 1811, with the Murattian decree of suppression of religious orders, the convent was closed (1811), and the library was confiscated by the Royal College of Lucera. Reopened in 1816, it was closed again in 1866, with the lieutenant’s decree, which was not respected: the friars, beloved in the city for their works, remained in the convent, with the help of the then Mayor Gaetano De Troia and good peace of authority. Towards the end of the 19th century the Town Hall decided to use the lazareetto building, then became the residence of the Friars Minor until 1916. Later the structure housed horses (!), German and French soldiers during World War II, destitute, evicted and displaced, and then fell into total abandonment. Only the Church maintained its decorum, thanks to a continuous religious use.
In 2015, following lengthy restoration work, the former convent was used as the "Multipurpose Cultural Centre of Lucera", hosting the Municipal Library "Ruggero Bonghi", the Municipal Art Gallery, a conference room and covered vault for temporary exhibitions. On the eastern side of the complex was realized the musealization inherent in the early Christian mosaics of San Giusto.
The Convent, on two levels, is organized around a central cloister with arcades with frescoes of uncertain origin. The church of the Santissimo Salvatore is located to the left of the convent and has a facade visibly restored over the centuries. Inside are kept the statues of St Pasquale Baylon, St Anthony of Padua and the Virgin of Sorrows.
