During the Napoleonic occupation, the church was plundered and the sacristy used as a horse stable. In 1844, the (new) Belgian community moved to the Church of St. Julian of the Flemings. Under the influence of the era's nationalism, in 1859 a priest college was founded, named the Collegio Teutonico di Santa Maria dell' Anima. However, although being propagated as a German institution, it was until 1918 under the patronage of the Habsburg emperors, and priests had many other Europan nationalities than only German.