According to the a legend, in the year 1772 a fisherman named Ivan M. Bogović Tumburko went out to sea to fish and, near the Gradine cape, saw an extraordinary light. When he approached the rock off which the light shone he found a picture of the Virgin Mary, which represented Mary's visit to her cousin Elisabeth. The fisherman took the picture home with him and placed it into a treasure chest. However, the picture returned to the place where he had found it in an unexplainable way. The same course of action was repeated three times. Soon after, the inhibitains of the village, together with the local priest, dedicated to build a chapel on that spot. As for the ceremony, it was established in 1776.
      The miraculous picture was burnt during the fire in the parish church, and a second one, which was stolen in the sixth decade of the laste century, was painted in Wienna in 1888. It has a silver frame which weighted 13 kg and was made by a goldsmith named Valle from Split based on a sketch made by Ivo Pavković, a shipbuilding master from Rogoznica.
      The picture shows a veri special moment: Having found out that she was pregnant, the Virgin Mary visited her cousin Elisabeth. Elisabeth was also pregnant by God's grace, despite the fact that she was old, was about to give birth to John the Baptist who was going to prepare the people for arrival of Jesus Christ.

      The larger chapel was built between 1907 - 1909 by a craftsman named Ivan Quero from Lecce, Italy. The altar was made in 1914 by Pavle Bilinić from Split from donations of 7,180 kruna, out of which he took only 400 kruna for his work. The Chapel was blessed by the parish priest dr. Ivan Katalinić.
      The ceremony is held each 2nd July on Petrovčica. The picture of Virgin Mary is taken by the ship, in the company of a priest and young girls dressed in white robes, to the Caparinova waterfront. There, the picture is welcomed by the Bishop of Šibenik accompanied by a dozen priests and several thousand belivers. From the Caparinova waterfront starts a procession which then goes along the Rogoznica waterfront, and the picture of the Virgin Mary is taken to the parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
      The picture remains in the parish church until the first Sunday after Our Lady of Karmela, when it returned in festive procession by land and sea to its sanctuary on the Gradina Cape. A hundred boats and thousands of pilgrims participate in the procession. Many of pilgrims walk for 2.5 kilometers with no shoes. In the past, the Virgin Mary's Ship was followed by young male swimmers. Today that is still the case, however, there are also young girls.

      In the year 1887 there was an epidemic of black measles and up to 40 people died daily. Tho local priest, Father Tode Pavlović, gathered the believers and they went barefoot on a pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Virgin Mary, begging her for mercy. From that day, 24th Yanuary, people stopped dying and the sick were healed, and on the day - now a votive holyday - a holy mass is held in the Chapel.
      Probably the best description of the Rogoznica festivity dedicated to the Virgin Mary was that of Dr. Drago Šimunđa in his very inspired sermon held in 1996:
      "These boats, fires, songs and the beautiful procession remind me of the 247 years of celebration of the Lady of Chapel and her miraculous descent among us. The remind me of the 1,400 years of my people's prayers to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ceremony revives our past , the identity of Rogoznica, and everything that is Croatian about deep faith and tradition. This ceremony brings to life our history, our culture , which was strong roots in the rocky ground and in our sea, and in churches which were builded with love and spiritualy, despite the sacrifices which had to be taken..."
      The miraculous Lady Patron of Rogoznica whose sanctuary, according to her wish, is situated at the entrance of the beautiful bay of Rogoznica, has been protecting her people and the port from all calamities for almost three long centuries.