Santuario Della Santa Casa
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Why go
- Bramante’s marble screen around the Holy House, with four scenes including its arrival in Loreto.
- Frescoes by Melozzo da Forlì and Luca Signorelli in the sacristies beside the right transept.
- The jeweled Virgin and Child image, known as Our Lady of Loreto, in a niche above the altar.
- Luigi Vanvitelli’s richly decorated campanile, rising 75.6 metres.
Opening hours
Today06:15 – 19:00Show all
Don't miss
- Bronze Virgin and ChildA life-size sculpture by Girolamo Lombardo.Above the main doorway.
Know before you go
- On feast days, guided tourist visits in the basilica are not allowed during services from 9:30 am to noon.
Legends and hidden details
- Tradition says seven angels carried the Holy House from Nazareth across the sea, through Tersatto and Recanati, before it reached Loreto.
- One theory says devotees brought a Madonna statue from Tersatto to Loreto before it became associated with the chapel.
Interesting facts6
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93 metres
The basilica measures 93 metres long and 60 metres wide.
Basilica della Santa Casa - Wikipedia -
9.25 metres
The Holy House measures 9.25 metres long, 4.1 metres wide and 5 metres high.
Basilica della Santa Casa - Wikipedia -
Excavations found that the Holy House has no foundations and rests on a public road.
La Santa Casa da Nazareth a Loreto -
The Holy House’s original door faces north and its only window faces west, unlike local building conventions.
La Santa Casa da Nazareth a Loreto -
Excavations found coins, five red cloth crosses and ostrich eggshells in the mortar.
Basilika vom Heiligen Haus in Loreto - Wikipedia -
1995
Mascioni installed the organ in 1995; it has 56 stops across three manuals and a pedal.
Basilika vom Heiligen Haus in Loreto - Wikipedia
Shorts
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La Nascita di Gesù nel Rivestimento Marmoreo della Santa Casa di Andr…Santa Casa Loreto
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Santuario Pontificio della Santa casa di Loretoitalia Brasil original
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29.05.2020 Le Frecce Tricolori nel cielo del Santuario della Santa Ca…Santa Casa Loreto
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Basilica della Santa Casa, LoretoHarpfairy
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Il meraviglioso Santuario della Santa Casa di LoretoPiergiorgio Cianitto
History
Documents point to a church dedicated to the Virgin in Loreto in the 12th and 13th centuries. A small church was later built over the Holy House, and Pope Paul II supported construction of the present basilica. Pilgrims have come to the Holy House seeking graces and blessings, including sick people hoping for bodily and spiritual healing. The church was sacked in 1797, and the Black Madonna returned from the Louvre via Rome by 1821.
- 14th c.The Holy House had become a Catholic pilgrimage destination by at least this century.
- 1464Pope Paul II reportedly experienced a healing in Loreto as a cardinal.
- 1468Construction of the present basilica began, supported by Pope Paul II. Giuliano da Maiano, Giuliano da Sangallo and Donato Bramante continued the work.
- 1507Pope Julius II issued the first papal bull to mention the Holy House’s translation.
- 1516Pope Leo X presented the principal bell, weighing 11 tons.
Show all
- 1587The church façade was completed.
- 1750–1754Luigi Vanvitelli built the campanile.
- 1797Napoleon’s troops sacked the church and emptied its treasury.
- 1821The Black Madonna had returned from the Louvre via Rome, and the treasury was again filled with valuable offerings.
- 1920Pope Benedict XV declared the Madonna of Loreto patron saint of air travellers and pilots.
- 1922The replacement image of Our Lady of Loreto, carved from cedar of Lebanon from the Vatican Gardens and modeled by Enrico Quattrini, was crowned in St Peter’s Basilica before being taken to Loreto.
- 1927Charles Lindbergh carried a Loreto statuette on his transatlantic flight.
- 1968Apollo 8 carried a Loreto medallion on its flight to the Moon.
Sources: Basilica della Santa Casa - Wikipedia · Basilica della Santa Casa - Wikipedia (part 2) · Santuario Pontificio della Santa Casa di Loreto · Santuario · La Santa Casa da Nazareth a Loreto · Basilika vom Heiligen Haus in Loreto - Wikipedia · Basilique de Lorette - Wikipedia · Basilica della Santa Casa - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
- Website
- santuarioloreto.va/
- Phone
- +39 071 974 7155
Questions and answers
What lies beneath the present altar at Santuario della Santa Casa?
A stone altar slab and block lie beneath it, hidden by a metal grille. They are traditionally said to have arrived with the house stones.
Why did Pope Paul II support construction of Santuario della Santa Casa?
He supported construction after reportedly being healed by a miracle in Loreto in 1464, while still a cardinal.
When is the feast of Our Lady of Loreto?
It falls on 10 December. The feast was restored to the universal Roman calendar in 2019 as an optional memorial.
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