The sanctuary was founded in 1430[1] by Saint Bernardino of Siena and Saint Giacomo della Marca, who had arrived there following the news of the discovery of a statue of the Virgin in the same or previous year[2]. A first rural chapel was built, then a first church, shortly afterwards enlarged in its current form between 1448 and 1507
This event has taken on a legendary character in popular tradition. In fact it is said that, towards the end of 1300, a shepherd boy who took his goats to graze along that mountain noticed a curious fact: every day, one of the goats moved away from its companions and in the evening it was the one that gave the most milk. Intrigued, one day he decided to follow her. He was thus led in front of a cave where the goat stopped to graze on lush grass. The shepherd decided to enter it and found a trunk. He immediately thought he had found a treasure, but had to retreat when he realized that the chest was guarded by a snake with two keys in its mouth. Frightened, he went to town to call for reinforcements. Relatives and friends rushed to the cave, and when the reptile gave them the keys, the trunk was opened revealing its treasure: the icon of the Blessed Virgin in lava stone. The Grotto can still be visited next to the church
Inside there is a magnificent rectangular cloister with pointed arches supported by small columns