 Basilica and the Holy House, LoretoThe massive basilica - a late Gothic collection of gems – the focal point of Loreto's small city and skyline, combines works of art by a host of architects such as Giuliano da Maiano, Giuliano da Sangallo, Bramante; frescoes by Melozzo da Forlì and Luca Signorelli; and mosaics by Guido Reni. The square outside, with its arcades on one side, and the impressive dome behind the façade only add to the cache of charms of the sanctuary, but what really makes its beauty so unique is the mystical quality of the Holy House inside.
As tradition has it, when the Crusaders lost control over the Holy Land in 1291, the Lord ordered the angels to take his Holy House to a secure place, so they moved it the village of Tersatto, Croatia. After about three years, however, some shepherds in the area of Loreto in central Italy reportedly saw a house flying across the sea with the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus sitting inside. The angels first laid the house in the middle of a farm and next to the place where it has been ever since. A number of investigations by experts into the stones and decorations inscribed on the walls of the Holy House made it possible to confirm its authenticity. In an attempt to protect the Holy House a thick brick wall was built all around it, which inexplicably detached from the house after completion, and the cavity is easily noticeable. Later a marvellous artistic marble shrine was erected to encase and protect the Holy House, like an oyster cherishes its precious pearl. Over the ages, as prognosticated by St. Francis, the sanctuary has been visited by over two hundred saints, popes, royals and obviously devotees, thus becoming one of the most popular sacred places of pilgrimage of Christianity and a favourite destination for believers and non-believers alike.
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