The city of Bari played an important role during the Crusades as it was a thoroughfare for Crusaders en route to Jerusalem. The constant presence of knights of all orders led the individual Orders to own and construct houses and churches. For example, the Knights Templar owned the Church of San Clemente (St. Clement) built in the harbour area; the Teutonic Knights owned Santa Maria, which they entitled “St. Mary of the German House” or “of the Teutonic Order”, as well as the adjoining Convent under the protection of the Abbey of San Leonardo (St. Leonard). In the Historia di Bari, Beatillo (a theologian, historian, and Jesuit from Bari) writes that the people of Bari were unsatisfied with the already numerous monasteries in the city, and, around the 15th century, fervently desired a convent for the nuns of Saint Clare, the so-called Poor Clares, renowned throughout the country for their strict Rule of Life. Beatillo also states that the citizens implored Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza, nicknamed “Ludovico il Moro”, for permission to build this convent in the ancient church of Santa Maria degli Alemanni (St. Mary of the German House, or of the Teutonic), at the time owned by the eponymous Order of Knights. After countless pleas, a Papal Bull by Pope Innocent VIII and a “letters of patent” by a cardinal Preceptor issued in July 1492, finally conceded to the city of Bari ownership of the church and adjoining Convent of Santa Maria for the construction of the Church and Convent of Santa Chiara. However, it was established that the nuns would have remained under the jurisdiction of the Preceptor of the time and of all his successors in years to come. The church and the adjoining convent were refurbished for the first time in 1539 at the behest of the Abbess Sveva with the financial contribution of Bona Sforza, Duchess of Bari. Subsequent restoration works on the building were carried out in 1730 under the Abbess Laura Gironda, and, in 1763, as recalled by an inscription in the church. The Poor Clares remained there until 1807, the year in which the Order was suppressed.