It has about a thousand years of adventurous history..

The image of the Madonna worshipped here was found miraculously underground, protected between two marble slabs.

Legend says that in or about 1041, probably in the summertime, a poor peasant woman whilst resting under a oak tree had a vision of the Madonna, who asked the woman, later called Caramari (or Cara a Maria -Dear to Maria), to dig underneath the tree because her image was buried there.

The first attempts were unsuccessful, but later, after overcoming the peoples scepticism they continued to dig and in a cistern the beautiful byzantine style painting come to light.

The painting had no name and subsequently was called Materdomini (Mother of God). The devotion for the Sacred Image grew rapidly, also because of the many miracles obtained through the Madonna's intercession: resurrection of the dead, healing of the blind, lame and obsessed.

The painting is kept in a small polychrome marble tabernacle inside a large neoclassical Basilica, rich of paintings, sculptures, golden stuccoes and works of famous artists of the 700's and subsequent periods: A. Solimena, G. Diano, F. Guarino, L. Grimaldi and others remained anonymous. Two large stained glass are windows are the work of Tarcisio Manta.

The first custodians of the Sanctuary and the Image of the Madonna were the Humble Monks, also called The White Monks, from 1631 to 1829 the custodians were the Basilian Monks from Grottaferrata and since 1829 the custodians are the Franciscan Brothers. In 1923 Pope Pio XI privileged the Sanctuary with the title of Basilica Minore and in 1931 it was declared a National Monument.

The historical events such as the wars, revolutions and the natural disasters such as the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, earthquakes, the last one being in 1980, have all affected the life of the Sanctuary that still remains a religious lighthouse for all the civil population not only in the Nocera area but the whole Campania region.
The devotion of the population has never declined and pilgrims come from all over Italy and abroad to honour Maria asking her to help them continue in the faith.

Beside the Sanctuary is a convent, home to about 10 Brothers as well as the Regional Centre of the Francescani Secolari and of the local O.F.S..