The main houses and schools that were part of the former province of Italy were founded on the initiative of different people for the human and faith education of women and were entrusted to the English Ladies (Dami Inglesi). Rovereto was founded in 1782 on the initiative of the Noble Lady Agnese Fait. Lodi was founded in 1812 by Baroness Maria Hadfield, Vicenza was founded in 1837 by the will of Francesco I° Emperor of Austria and Merate was founded in 1889 at the invitation of Mons. Federico Colombo.
The foundations proceeded autonomously from one another, belonging to the various generalates existing at the time. They only became part of the Italian province of the CJ (I.B.V.Maria) in 1931.
The current communities of Merate, Vicenza and Rovereto and the community of Romanian sisters in Aosta, are part of the European Latin Province (LEP) erected on 1 January 2021. The 3 schools were transferred to other institutions and at present 2 belong to diocese and one is run by a non-profit parents’ foundation. The sisters collaborate in the three former schools, as well as in the parish for pastoral and spiritual accompaniment and in social volunteering.
