Hotel Palazzo Sant ‘Elena*** was founded as a convent connected to one of the most historically important churches, located in the center of Foggia, Gesù and Maria. Its name derives from a small temple built in the Frederician period dedicated to the saint from which the present name comes from. The current walls of the hotel date back to the sixteenth century, when in the town of Foggia had built for the Friars minor Observant, the current Church of Gesù and Maria and its adjacent convent.
The complex, completed in 1521, reached its peak when it was given, starting from 1664, the title of "Royal Convent" by King Philip IV of Spain. Due to the earthquake of 1731, the architectural structure suffered extensive damage repaired only after 1750. During the Napoleonic period, in 1811, it was then occupied by the French gendarmerie and the Minor Friars were forced to leave not only the convent, which is the current hotel, but also the church as Joachim Murat abolished the religious order in 1809. It was only through to the Restoration during the Bourbon rule that the friars took possession of the church again, leaving the convent used as a barracks, then in 1832 this became the orphanage called "Maria Cristina di Savoia".
These are the origins of the history of Hotel Palazzo Sant ‘Elena*** today brought back to its ancient splendour through to a renovation to rediscover its architectural value making it unique within the city of Foggia.