They refer to a church of Santa Maria in the area that stood near a convent.

The suffix was then modified to alla cella, then Arcella and finally to Araceli.

Construction of the present church was begun during 1672-1680, a period during which the famous architect Guarino Guarini resided in Vicenza under the patronage of the Theatines.

It contains an altarpiece representing the Tiburtine Sybil who portends the coming Virgin and Child to the Roman Emperor Augustus attributed to Pietro Liberi .

The altar on the right has a 13th-century painted crucifix, originally from church of San Vito.