The ancient church of San Jacopo tra i Fossi (St James of the Ditches) dates back to the 11th century, and is one of the oldest religious buildings in Florence. In 1170 the Benedictine monks built a convent attached to the church that was to remain theirs until the early sixteenth century, when the entire complex passed into the hands of the Augustinians. Over the centuries that followed the church underwent major restoration work and was also given a precious carved and painted wooden ceiling, that can still be seen today.
The convent was suppressed in 1808 and two years later the Augustinians definitively abandoned the premises. The complex - now owned by the Methodist Church - was purchased by the Free Christian Church in 1874: from then on the building was a place of worship and also housed the Italian Evangelical Institute, founded by Salvatore Ferretti (1817-1874).
For many years Ferretti had been exiled to London, where he worked to improve the economic and social conditions of the many children of Italian descent who were exploited as beggars or musicians.