Loreto - History of the Holy House

Loreto, Marche, Italy · Siglo XIII

The Holy House of Loreto is, according to tradition, the house where the Virgin Mary lived in Nazareth and where she received the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel. Miraculously translated by angels, it is today one of the most important Marian shrines in the world.

The Holy House of Nazareth

According to tradition, the Holy House is the house where the Virgin Mary lived in Nazareth, where she received the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel and where the Child Jesus spent her first years. The house had three rooms: the bedroom of Mary, the kitchen and the courtyard.

Tradition says the house was built with limestone of Nazareth and clay tiles. When the family of Nazareth was expelled during the Saracena invasions, the house was miraculously transported by the angels to various places before reaching Loreto.

The Miraculous Transfer

According to the most widespread tradition, the Holy House was transported from Nazareth to Loreto by the angels on the night of 9 to 10 December 1294. This tradition is based on documents from the 14th century that describe the sudden apparition of the house on a hill in Loreto, in the Italian Marks.

Otra tradición, menos extendida, dice que la casa fue transportada primero a Dalmacia (hoy Croacia) por los cruzados, y luego a Loreto por los ángeles. Esta tradición se basa en la presencia de una «Santa Casa» en la isla croata de Traù.

The monastery

En 1294, la Santa Casa fue instalada en una colina de Loreto, en una propiedad de la familia Angeli (cuyo nombre, «ángeles», reforzaba la tradición del traslado milagroso). Los Angeli construyeron un monasterio alrededor de la casa y lo donaron a los monjes eremitas de San Agustín.

The Augustan monks guard the Holy House until today. His mission is to maintain the sanctuary and to attend to the pilgrims.

The Holy House today

The Holy House is located in the center of the Basilica of the Annunciation of Loreto. The original house is a stone structure about 10 meters long by 5 wide and 5 high. Inside is the image of the Virgin of Loreto, a cedar statue of the 14th century.

The Holy House has been decorated over the centuries with frescoes of the best Italian artists, including Melozzo da Forlì, Luca Signorelli and Bramante.