The Oratory of the Rosary of Saint Dominic (Oratorio del Rosario di San Domenico) was founded in the 1570s by the Society of the Holy Rosary, a group of wealthy merchants and artists, in dedication to the Virgin Mary. It was built as a form of gratitude for her divine intervention at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 against the Ottoman navy.

The victory was decisive and significant as the Ottomans had not lost any major naval battles since the 15th century, and was such an important battle that it was commemorated by Pope Pius V who created a new feast day of Our Lady of Victory, which is now celebrated as the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.