On 5 June 1498, Frederick of Naples granted the permission for the Mastro Mercato to the town of Santa Maria a Vico; before that date this privilege was only reserved to Bari, Cosenza, Lucera, Reggio and Taranto.

The new edict, passed under the name of "Terra di Lavoro", has its roots in the project of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies, who in 1818 wanted to give more importance to the area of Caserta, which had been chosen as location to build the new Royal Palace.

The importance of the church is determined by two main events: the first one dates back to the building of the religious edifice (1492), whereas the second one concerns a tradition handed down to this day.

In 1480 he renewed his vow, praying for the Virgin to grant him another victory: this time the battle took place in Apulia, where his army was fighting the Turk invasion.

In Piazza Umberto I, a square placed in the historical centre of the town, a number of statues evoking and celebrating the old crafts can be found: the majority of them were placed in the 1990s and have a private committee,[clarification needed] but some date back to the 2010s, distancing themselves from the craft theme, and bearing the memory of the migration of many Italians in the post-war period.