The striking hill town of Loreto lies just inland from the Adriatic Sea and is one of the world most important shrines to the cult of the Virgin Mary. The town mainly exists to service the thousands of pilgrims who travel here from around the world.
The great dome of the shrine dominates the countryside for miles around: it protects the House of Nazareth that witnessed the Annunciation and the childhood of Jesus.
The Santa Casa arrived, according to tradition, in 1294 and Loreto was approved as a place of pilgrimage since 1507.
The shrine collects works by the most celebrated names of Late Renaissance.
Piazza della Madonna, the elegant square with a Baroque fountain is in front of the Sanctuary, flanked by the arcades of the 16thC Palazzo Apostolico.
The Museo-Pinacoteca houses works by Lorenzo Lotto (the Venetian master retired and died in Loreto in 1556).
The tradition of the Holy House
The simple house at Nazareth where the Annunciation took place and where the Holy Family lived, so the legend goes, was borne away by angels in 1291 as the Saracens descended on the Holy Land.
posted by Guide Turistiche Marche, servizi visite guidate con guide turistiche abilitate delle province di Ancona, Macerata, Ascoli Piceno, Fermo e della Delegazione Pontificia di Loreto
