The first testimonies of church existence go back to the 1400, when resulted settled here some Dominican friars. Then it was rebuilted in the 1600 with the addition of the Sacresty, while the small church and the bell tower constitute the more ancient part of the complex. The various stages of construction are shown by different kinds of roofing: the cross vaults of the church, the hemispheric dome of the sacresty, the barrel vaults of the monastic cells. Remarkable are the constructive and stylistic affinities with the Charterhouse of San Giacomo, leading the church of Cetrella in the common architectonic late-gothic style, introduced in Capri from Chartusian monks.

After it was abandoned for several decades, the church and hermitage of Saint Maria di Cetrella has been restructured in recent years and resumed its function as liturgical center in some occasions: during May (the month traditionally dedicated to the Virgin Mary) and October (yearly recurrence of this church) when they celebrate the Mass of the Sailors, in memory of their past pilgrimages. Apart those special occasions, the church is generally opened once a week on Saturday afternoons, until the sunset.