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Loreto is a charming hill town of some 10,000 inhabitants in the central Italian region known as the Marches. It is famed throughout the world for the Holy House of the Virgin Mary of Nazareth. Bordering the Adriatic Sea, it has been an important pilgrimage destination for nearly eight centuries.
The Holy House is enclosed within ornate, Renaissance-era marble beneath a large basilica, also built during the Renaissance.
The House itself consists of three walls of stacked stones. It is believed that Mary grew up and the Annunciation took place within these walls.
The House is now used as a chapel. Toward the front is a stone altar, known as the “Altar of the Apostles.” Along with an ancient plate, these relics arrived in Loreto together with the Holy House.
