In the XV century the Minor Friars owned four monasteries: the Monastery of Silvestrini in Santa Maria di Uliano, a second monastery in Porta Sabina, a third one beyond Porta Leone, and finally the Monastery of Madonna del Giglio.

Unfortunately the first three monasteries were destroyed, and today their existence has become only a memory. But the Monastery of Madonna del Giglio have had a better fate, and today it rises with its stateliness on the peaceful hill of the homonymous village Il Giglio.

According to the scholars of the Order of the Grey Friars, the Monastery of Il Giglio was founded by Amedeo di Portogallo. It has never been as important as the other monasteries of the Grey Friars, and it has never accommodated more than 12 Friars. December 5th to December 8th 1748 the Monastery of Il Giglio had even accommodated San Leonardo di Porto Maurizio, an important Italian missionary.

The Minor Friars had been staying in this monastery till the beginning of  the XIX century, when the French troops invaded the Pontifical States. After this invasion the monastery of Madonna del Giglio was unfortunately abandoned.

The diocesan authority tried to make up for this new and unexpected situation, and in 1837 the monastery and the church were than entrusted to the Passionists. They restored the church and decided to build two new side-chapels. On October 24th 1858 the church and the high altar were consecrated during a ritual, presided by the Cardinal Ferretti.

At the beginning of 1865, after the administrative problems that the new government of Piemonte in Perugia was intensifying, the Passionists were definitively turned out the monastery of Il Giglio, and the church, together with the monastery, were completely overwhelmed by a deep state of abandonment, desolation, and waste.

In 1900, then, the French Congregation of “I Religiosi di San Vincenzo de’ Paoli” took possession of the monastery and the church, and let the devoted people go on prayer to the monastery of Madonna del Giglio.

Beyond the monastery, the French Friars built a grotto in honour of the holy Virgin, so that those who wanted to prayer the Virgin could go there. During festivities, the pilgrims paid a visit to the grotto of the Holy Virgin, and paid homage to Her.

Even today, at least once a year - usually on September 8th - the people, living at the village of Il Giglio and its neighborhood, pay homage to the Holy Virgin of Il Giglio, and pray to Her.