The Church of St. Mary of Itria, whose devotion was introduced by Sicilian soldiers of the imperial army who took part in the siege of Constantinople by the Turks in the 8th century, was erected outside the town center in 1602. The following year, on July 14, 1603, the homonymous confraternity—the oldest in the town—was founded. Among the churches built at that time, this is the only one located extra terra, that is, outside the town. It stands at the intersection of two important ancient routes that cross this area: Agrigento–Catania and Licata–Palermo.
The first procession with the statue of the Virgin took place in 1657, probably with the same wooden statue that still dominates the main altar, carried on the shoulders of two Basilian monks, called “calojari” by the people. Between 1737 and 1749, restoration works began, as in other local churches, thanks to the financial support of the Prince of Palagonia. The funds were just enough to complete the nave, while for the apse it was necessary to rely on the people’s almsgiving.