After the victory at the Lepanto, this church and Santa Maria della Vittoria in Naples were erected and dedicated to the Madonna del Rosario, whose devotion was felt to have contributed to the success at the battle.

In 1572, Michele Lauro offered the Dominicans this land for construction of a church.

One of the leaders of the Parthenopean Republic, Eleonora Fonseca Pimentel was married here in February 1778, and later buried her son here.

There are four bas-relief depictions of popes who helped establish the devotion of the rosary: Popes Benedict XI, Benedict XIII, Innocent V, and Pius V. The main altar (1729) created by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro.

The main altarpiece is a Madonna del Rosario (c. 1738) by Giuseppe Bonito.