It is linked to the legendary arrival of the Byzantine icon of the Black Madonna, displayed on the main altar, to which the etymology of the name Positano is also connected. Transformed into a Baroque version in the second half of the 18th century, the church has a soaring bell tower built in 1707. Below the oratory, eight meters deep, are the remains of the Villa of Positano, which with its magnificent frescoes in vivid colors it is the only example of Roman paintings on the Amalfi Coast. Covered by volcanic materials from the Vesuvius eruption, its underground part with the original tools and furniture has become the seat of the Roman ArchaeologicalMuseum of Santa Maria Assunta, open to the public all year round.
