It owes its fame to the sanctuary where the Holy House of the Virgin Mary is venerated; a sacred place defined by John Paul II as the "true Marian heart of Christianity"... #tuttitaly
The city of Loreto, immersed in the tranquility of the splendid Marche countryside, developed around the Sanctuary of the Holy House of the Virgin Mary: a sacred place defined by John Paul II as the "true Marian heart of Christianity."
The Holy House is precisely the House of Nazareth: a masonry chamber of three stone walls placed to close a cave. Here Maria was born, was educated, and received the Angelic announcement.
According to documents and archaeological excavations, the walls of the Holy House were transported to Loreto on a ship on the initiative of the noble Angeli family, who reigned over Epirus.
To protect the humble stone walls, work began on the construction of the Sanctuary in the mid-1400s.
The Macerata-Loreto pilgrimage has been taking place since 1978, the year of the election of John Paul II:
every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims arrive on foot at the Sanctuary from Macerata.
For an intense spiritual experience, you can reach the Basilica by climbing the 330 steps of the Scala Santa.
You will be able to appreciate the marble cladding surrounding the Holy House walls, made to a design by Bramante (1507), considered one of the greatest sculptural masterpieces of Renaissance art.
Under the Loggiato of Piazza Della Madonna, you will find
the entrance to the Museum of the Ancient Treasures of the Holy House, which preserves paintings, sculptures, art objects, and objects of great value collected in the Sanctuary over the centuries. Among the works on display are the nine canvases by Lorenzo Lotto, one of the greatest European painters of the sixteenth century.
On the table
The best typical dishes to be savored in Loreto are roast rabbit, vincigrassi, crescia sfogliata, and lamb tajine.
