A local fraternity built smaller church or oratory with the same name adjacent to the cathedral in the 16th century. In the early 17th century a new church was built at this site, but damage from the 1693 Sicily earthquake, destroyed the dome of this structure and caused much damage. The pre-1693 church had been frescoed between 1674 and 1679 by the Giovanni Fulco. Reconstruction began in 1740, using designs by Pietro Paolo Vasta. Built with expensive white stone from Siracusa, work continued through the century. In 1765, the facade was completed by Paolo Guarrera. In 1790, under the direction of Francesco Di Paola Patanè the interior was refurbished, replacing the wooden roof with a stone masonry vault, stuccoed on the interior.
