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An older chapel or church is mentioned on the site in the 10th. In 1165 it is recorded under the name Santa Maria in Via. A strange name, considering that most churches are fairly close to a street, but this one is named because of its proximity to the Via Flaminia, which was the main road in the area.
In the 13th century, Cardinal Pietro Capocci had a house here, and there was a well in his stable yard. On the night of 26 September 1256, it overflowed. The horses were frightened, and when the domestics rushed out they found an icon of the Blessed Virgin, painted on a stone, floating on the water. Pope Alexander IV declared it a miracle, and ordered the construction of a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The new chapel incorporated the older church.
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