It is the oldest monument in Spigno, bearing the special bond of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of the Province of Alexandria. May 4, 2021, was the 1030th anniversary of the foundation of the monastery, which was run in the first centuries by Benedictine monks. The deed, called "Charta offersionis," was stipulated by the descendants of the legendary Aleramo in the castle of Visone on May 4, 991.
It lists the lands and goods conferred to the abbey, representing a vast territory. The monks followed St. Benedict's rule of "Ora et Labora," combining religious life and prayer with manual labor. With such association, the monastery became a center of social emancipation, fostering learning, cultivation and trade. After several centuries of decline and the Napoleonic period, when it was occupied and looted by French troops (incidentally, May 5, 2021 marks the bicentennial of Napoleon Bonaparte's death), it was nationalized and sold to private individuals.
The monument is still private and, unfortunately, cannot be visited.