Italian Marchioness Delfina Gavotti of Savona used her personal funds to build a statuary image in 1902, which merited a Pontifical decree of coronation in 1924, partly due to her pious fanaticism to the Child Jesus under this title.

It replaced a picture image of the Infant Jesus of Prague brought by the Carmelite Order on 25 September 1900, which was located beneath the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Pope Pius XI granted a decree of Canonical coronation to the venerated image on 24 February 1924 via his Papal legate Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val.

The rite of coronation was executed on 6 September 1924 and was attended by many notable prelates, namely the young Catholic seminarian at the time, Giuseppe Siri and Queen Margherita of Savoy.

The same Pontiff raised the sanctuary to the status of a minor basilica on 6 May 1928 through the Pontifical Decree Pragensem Pueri Iesu signed and notarized by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, where the image is permanently enshrined today.