By tracing the map, we can find other towns with the same name. In fact, “Mary’s Houses” are built in various places around the world and are inspired by the original one located in Italy. Sanctuaries are built around them, e.g. in Prague or Santa Fe.
Loreto: the pearl of the Marche region. Small town, big history
A magnet for tourists is the mentioned house, which is located in the center of the basilica. It is worth visiting here because of several other advantages of this place. Even for the views.
Loreto has been on the podium of the most frequently visited places in the Marche for years. However, it competes for the top spot with other “gems” such as Macerata (one of the most beautiful cities in the region), Urbino with its Renaissance palace or the fortress in San Leo.
Massive walls “enclose” the town very well, and their important point are two large, round bastions. They were designed by the Florentine architect Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and built in the 16th century. To enter it, we have several options. On the Adriatic Sea side there is the historic Porta Marina gate. On the opposite side of the center there is Porta Romana, built by Pompeo Floriani around 1590.
Tourism flourishes in the center of historic Loreto. There are bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels here. It’s a bit of a land of extremes – on the one hand, pizza, ice cream and espresso for every budget, and souvenir shops, and on the other, there are luxury boutiques.
In the square in front of the basilica, the monumental architecture and subdued colors play the main role. On the north-eastern side of the square is the Apostolic Palace, which houses a museum.
You can even say that in a relatively short time you can move from the stone walls to the beach, for example to the picturesque Porto Recanti, a few kilometers away.
The legend of the Holy House of Mary. Angels or Angela’s family?
I think it’s time to step away from rather mundane matters. Starring: This is part of the house in Nazareth where the Annunciation was supposed to take place. It became a relic and survived in Nazareth until the Crusades. There were three doors in the walls, and light came in through a window in the gable wall.
How? In fact, Christians wanted to protect the “holy stones” from destruction by transporting them by sea, first to the area of Rijeka in Croatia (now Croatia), and then to the aforementioned Loreto.
An article by Courtney Mares, an emissary of the Catholic news agency CNA in Rome, shed new light on the old legend. Three years ago, she published an extensive article devoted to the “move” of the house from Nazareth to Loreto.
In 1985, documents were revealed about “sacred stones from the House of Our Lady” in 1294. They were included in Tamara née Angela’s dowry when she married Philip of Anjou, son of Charles II, King of Naples.
What’s more, . Archaeological research has confirmed that the stones and mortar composition are of Palestinian origin. The same inscription as in the cave in Nazareth was also discovered in Loreto: “Jesus Christ, Son of God.”
“Please don’t think that this is how Our Lady lived”
The authenticity of the house was confirmed by Pope Nicholas V in 1449 with the words: “The House of the Mother of God is a real house in which the Word became flesh, carved in the altar.”
Over the years, the facility was given an appropriate setting. The exterior was covered with marble and is a textbook example of a masterpiece of Italian sculpture. The walls are richly decorated with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Mary, as well as images of Old Testament prophets. The stone building has dimensions of 8.5 m x 3.8 m x 4.1 m. Inside there is a sculpture of the Madonna of Loreto.
Please don’t think that this is how Our Lady lived! The real house is hidden inside, what you see outside was built much later. The Cottage of Nazareth is made up of walls inside
In 1469, a basilica in the shape of a Latin cross was built to protect the Holy House. The central point of the basilica is the house, but the interior of the building is no less impressive.
On July 18, 1944, soldiers under the command of General Władysław Anders liberated Ancona, one of the most important ports located on the Adriatic coast and Loreto. They thus saved the sanctuary from being destroyed. The Scala Santa, or Holy Stairs, leads to the cemetery. It is located on the avenue connecting the sanctuary with the railway station.
Silence, peace, passegiata
The hot day is coming to an end and it’s finally the perfect time to get some cooler air.
The word comes from the Italian passegiare, meaning to take a walk. For residents, it is a real ritual whose goal is not to reach a specific point, but simply to talk and meet others. At the same time, walkers order coffee, ice cream or apertivo in their favorite bars. And during this time, small and large discussions take place, often interspersed with gossip.
Loreto in the evening is a completely different place than during the day. The fountain in Piazza della Madonna is taken over by several young boys who came to play football. Who knows, maybe among them there will be another Giuseppe Meazza, Francesco Totti or Gianluigi Buffon? The benches around it become a meeting place for older residents of the town. Some people watch the football mini show, others engage in conversations. And these melt somewhere in the warmth of the evening.
