At the time the Prior General was William of Cremona O.S.A., who succeeded in gaining for the Order the authority of the Pope for the Order to become guardians of the tomb of Augustine in the church of Saint Peter in Ceil d'Oro, Pavia, Italy.
At this General Chapter at Toulouse in 1341, as a means of protection for the brethren and in order to preclude scandals which might arise for the Order, the General Chapter enforced a disciplinary precept of the Augustinian Rule and the Constitutions.
Accordingly, it was ruled that no brother was allowed to leave the monastery without a companion. Transgressors of this regulation were to be considered as apostates from the Order.
The bell tower, still incomplete in 1510, of the convento was placed on the side of the main building. Forty years later, its upper level was destroyed by lightning on 14th September 1550.
By this time, the financial situation of the convento was poor, and nothing could be done other than to remove the damaged top levels of the tower.
It was built in two stages: the eastern gallery leading to the sacristy, the chapel (capella) of Our Lady of Pity (Notre-Dame de Pitié) and the chapter house was built in 1341.
The three other galleries were completed at the end of the 14th century. The small classic cloister, completed in 1626, was added in front of the west door. The cloister (clausura, choistro, patio), a haven of peace, has a garden that was restored in 1995.
(Continued on the next page.)
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