The sanctuary of the house of Mary
On a hill a few kilometres from the Adriatic coast, south of Ancona, the Basilica of the Holy House of Loreto is one of the most important Marian shrines in the world, visited by millions of pilgrims. It houses, according to tradition, the Holy House of Nazareth, the house where the Virgin Mary was born, received the Annunciation of the Angel and lived with Jesus. According to the legend, in 1291, when the Crusaders were driven out of the Holy Land, the house was carried away by angels, first to Dalmatia and then, in 1294, to the hill of Loreto, among laurel trees, from which the name derives. Historical research suggests that the stones were brought by ship by a noble family called Angeli, but the house is in any case very ancient, and its stones and construction techniques are typical of Palestine.
The Holy House, a small room of rough stone, stands in the centre of the basilica, under the dome, enclosed in a magnificent marble screen, designed by Bramante and sculpted in the sixteenth century by Andrea Sansovino and other great artists, with reliefs of the life of the Virgin and statues of prophets and sibyls. Inside, the walls preserve medieval frescoes and the statue of the Black Madonna of Loreto, in cedar wood, a copy of the original destroyed by a fire in 1921. The basilica, begun in 1469, was built by great architects such as Giuliano da Sangallo, author of the dome, Bramante and Sansovino, and has chapels decorated by painters such as Melozzo da Forlì and Luca Signorelli. Since 1920 the Madonna of Loreto has been the patron saint of aviators.
Tip: dress appropriately; on the night of 9-10 December, the Feast of the Translation is celebrated with bonfires throughout the Marche.
Where it is
More things to see in Marche
Where to stay near Loreto
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.