Sant'Orsola Church was built for the 'Compagnia di Sant'Orsola' (Brotherhood of Saint Ursula), a group of believers which was founded in 1564 in the neighbouring church of Santi Quaranta Martiri Pisani al Casalotto.
The church was open to the public in 1662. The nave, and maybe the entire building, was designed by Giacomo Amato. In 1672 a beautification work started. During this period the building was decorated with stuccos and paintings. In the following century another beautification work was made. As a result of these actions, the church houses several artworks of important Sicilian artists.
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.