A sacred place, described by John Paul II as the “true Marian heart of Christianity.” A destination for pilgrims and art lovers.
In the splendid city of Loreto, everything is evocative: the air of peace and tranquility, the panorama enjoyed from the hill where the Shrine of Loreto is located; a unique view in which the colors of the Marches countryside blend with those of the sea, and the gaze can range in an instant from the beauty of the Conero Riviera to the peaks of the Sibillini Mountains.
But Loreto owes its fame to the shrine where the Holy House of the Virgin Mary is preserved and venerated, and which for centuries has been one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the Catholic world. Among the pilgrims are approximately 200 saints and blesseds, as well as numerous popes. The best known include Francis de Sales, Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Francis of Paola, Thérèse of Lisieux, Camilla Battista da Varano, Gianna Beretta Molla, John XXIII, John Paul II, and Pope Francis.
The Holy House: from Nazareth to Loreto
The Holy House consists of three walls that, according to ancient and authoritative tradition, formed the front part of the grotto in Nazareth, where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born, lived, and received the announcement from the angel Gabriel.
The grotto is still located inside the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
A devout tradition holds that the translation of the Holy House from Nazareth to Loreto was carried out by angels.
A second historical interpretation highlights that in 1291 the Crusaders were expelled from the Holy Land by the Muslims, and that some Christians saved the Madonna's house from destruction, first transporting it to ancient Illyria, to a place commemorated by the shrine of Trsat. Subsequently, on the night between December 9 and 10, 1294, it was transported to Recanati, first near the port and then to a hill, where it is still preserved today. Documents and archaeological excavations have confirmed the hypothesis that the walls of the Holy House were transported to Loreto by ship, at the initiative of the noble Angeli family, which ruled Epirus.
According to archaeological excavations and studies, the three walls correspond perfectly to the perimeter of the grotto in Nazareth. Moreover, the stones from which it is built do not come from the Recanati area, but are characteristic of the building tradition of Palestine at the time of Christ. This attests to the relic's authenticity.
In addition to the three original walls, a fourth was built in Loreto, the one where the sacred image of Our Lady of Loreto is placed.
The Basilica
To protect these poor stone walls and accommodate the growing crowds of pilgrims, work began in 1469 on the construction of the magnificent Sanctuary, at the initiative of Pope Paul II.
Among the most valuable works is the marble cladding surrounding the walls of the Holy House, commissioned by Julius II and created according to a design by Bramante (1507), considered one of the greatest sculptural masterpieces of Renaissance art.
Over the centuries, great artists took turns embellishing the Sanctuary. The Basilica was completed in 1587 with the construction of the late-Renaissance façade in the Florentine style, carried out by Giovanni Boccalini, Giovan Battista Ghioldi, and Lattanzio Ventura. The exterior of the Basilica is completed by the bronze doors forged at the foundry in Recanati in 1600, depicting episodes from the history of salvation.
The statue of Our Lady of Loreto
The history of the image we venerate today, which wears the dalmatic, is equally fascinating. At first, the image venerated in Loreto was not a statue but a painting on a wooden panel, which some sources claim was created by Saint Luke the Evangelist. It was essentially a Byzantine icon. Around the middle of the 16th century, the image was replaced by a fir-wood statue, which was destroyed in the fire of 1921. Pope Pius XI then commissioned another to be carved from cedar wood from the Vatican Gardens, with the same coloring as the previous one.
The statue of Our Lady of Loreto is located inside the Holy House. The entire figure is wrapped in the characteristic richly decorated mantle (dalmatic), from which only her head and the head and hands of the Child emerge.
What to see in the Basilica
After visiting the Holy House, the Sanctuary still has much to offer!
Looking up, you can admire the magnificent dome designed by Giuliano da Sangallo. Decorated with frescoes by Cesare Maccari, it features the cycle of the Litany of Loreto, the Most Holy Trinity surrounded by the Thrones, Dominions, Cherubim, Seraphim, Powers, and Principalities, the archangels Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, and invocations to Mary as Queen.
The Choir Chapel, also known as the German Chapel, was frescoed by Ludovico Seitz with scenes from the life of Mary that form the backdrop to the imposing wooden choir.
The Sacristy of Saint Mark features beautiful frescoes by Melozzo da Forlì.
The Chapel of the Assumption, also known as the American Chapel, depicts scenes related to aviation, from Icarus’s first flight to Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon during the Apollo mission.
What to see in Loreto
The beauty of the Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto, however, does not stop at the Virgin’s dwelling. Even arriving at Piazza della Madonna, the square in front of the Basilica, takes your breath away with its beauty.
And then all you have to do is look around:
To the northwest, you can see the imposing Apostolic Palace, which currently houses the Santa Casa Art Gallery Museum. Characterized by a majestic two-story portico, this imposing building was designed by the papal architect Donato Bramante, who was sent to Loreto specifically by Pope Julius II between 1507 and 1509. The work was directed by Sansovino, then by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and, in the 16th century, by Giovanni Boccalini. Completed by Luigi Vanvitelli.
To the south is the Illyrian Palace, built in 1556 on the site of the first houses that arose near the Sanctuary to accommodate the Jesuit Fathers; its purpose changed between 1572 and 1585, when Pope Gregory XIII decided to turn it into a college for students. From then on, for a very long period, it housed young students from present-day Dalmatia in Albania (ancient Illyria), which is where the palace gets its name.
The square is also dominated by the 17th-century fountain designed by Carlo Maderno and the bell tower with its Baroque forms, designed by Vanvitelli. The belfry houses 9 bells, including the “Loreta” (the largest, also in terms of weight: 7,300 kg!).
In the churchyard stands a statue of Sixtus V, sculpted in the act of greeting pilgrims visiting the Holy House.
To learn about the Sanctuary
Contacts and addresses
Piazza della Madonna, 1
60025 Loreto (AN)
Tel. 071 9747213 (Welcome Office)
Mass times
Sunday: 7:00-8:30-10:00-11:30-17:00-19:00
Monday to Saturday: 7:00-8:30-10:00-11:00-17:00-18:30
Confessions every day: from 8:00 to 12:00; from 15:00 to 18:30
How to get there the Sanctuary
