Erected in 1154 as a notable example of the Arab-Norman architecture which flourished in Sicily under Norman rule on the island, the church is annexed to that of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio.

Founded around 1160 by admiral Majone di Bari, in the 18th century the church was used as a post office.

In the 19th century it was restored and brought back to a form more similar to the original Mediaeval edifice.

The plan of the church shows the predilection of the Normans for simple and severe forms, derived from their military formation.

Moreover, the building shows how international the language of Norman architecture was at the time, as the vocabulary which marks parts of the church, like the bell tower, can be tracked down in coeval buildings like the cathedral of Laon and the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen, both in Northern France, or the cathedral of Durham in England.