It was built in 1220 by Frederic II of Swabia and was given to the Teutonic order to create a base and a place where they could stop during their ventures to the Holy Land. When the Knights of the Teutonic Order retreated from Sicily, the building was given to the archconfraternity of Sant’Angelo (also called “dei Rossi”), which maintained it in good condition till 1606. 

The religious site, damaged during the earthquakes of 1783 and 1908, has an unusual architecture and a stylistic rigor for the monuments of that time: the church was probably made by architects from the North of Europe. It represents the only example of the Gothic-Norman-Arabian style in Sicily. It has three naves and three apsides. After several restorations, made by the Monuments and Fine Arts Office of Messina, the church, which was deconsecrated, was presented to the city in 2001.