The church dates back to the 15th century, possibly earlier, and the pillar by its entrance bears an inscription to the governor Francesco Coco dated 1550. The Papal inspector Augustin Valier, who visited Dalmatia in 1579 and 1580, noted that there was an icon over the altar.In the Catholic Church the 2nd February is the feast of Candlemas, known as Svijećnica in Croatian, and Kandalora in Hvar dialect. It celebrates the occasion when the baby Jesus was presented in the Temple for blessing and his Mother received ritual cleansing, forty days after the birth, in keeping with Jewish tradition (Luke 2: 22-40). In the Catholic tradition, there is now a procession followed by a mass, and candles are blessed which will be used later in the year for christenings and other festivals.