Loreto

Spirituality, art, and boundless views

Resting on the top of a gentle hill, Loreto is one of the most renowned and beloved destinations of the Conero Riviera. The city is world-famous for the Basilica of the Holy House, one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sanctuaries in Christianity. According to tradition, it preserves inside the Holy House of Nazareth, the dwelling where the Virgin Mary was born and received the Annunciation from the Angel Gabriel.

Serenity and spirituality

Walking through Loreto, one breathes an atmosphere of peace and contemplation that makes this city unique. Whether for the beauty of its surrounding countryside or the sacredness of its places, Loreto offers visitors a deep sense of serenity and spirituality.

The panorama is simply unforgettable: from here, the view embraces the Conero Riviera in all its beauty, with rolling hills, olive groves, and sunflower fields gently descending towards the sea.

The historic center

Beyond the majestic Basilica, it is worth strolling through the historic center, where you’ll find Piazza della Madonna with its splendid Fontana Maggiore, the Renaissance Apostolic Palace (also called Palazzo delle Province), and the Pontifical Museum of the Holy House, which houses masterpieces by Lorenzo Lotto and a precious collection of Renaissance majolica from the Duchy of Urbino.

The works of Lorenzo Lotto in Loreto: a treasure of art in the Holy House

Loreto is not only a place of pilgrimage but also an outstanding destination for art lovers. Inside the Pontifical Museum of the Holy House, housed in the Apostolic Palace, one can admire one of the most significant painting cycles of Lorenzo Lotto’s maturity, one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance.
The Venetian painter spent the last years of his life in Loreto, where he lived as a lay oblate, devoting himself entirely to sacred art. Here he left some of his most intimate and spiritual works, created between 1549 and 1556.
The works preserved in Loreto represent an artistic heritage of absolute value, reflecting the most intimate and devotional phase of his career.
Among the most famous canvases preserved in the museum are:

The Fall of Lucifer (Saint Michael casts out Lucifer)

An altarpiece of great dramatic force and chromatic intensity, depicting the Archangel Michael defeating Lucifer. The work impresses with the dynamism of the figures and the expressive intensity.

Adoration of the Child with Saints Roch, Sebastian, and James (1523)

A painting reflecting Lotto’s stylistic maturity, characterized by warm colors and a remarkable delicacy in the faces and gestures of the characters.

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (1552–1556)

One of Lorenzo Lotto’s last works, imbued with spirituality and simplicity, executed during the period when the artist lived in Loreto as a lay oblate at the sanctuary.

These works form part of the so-called Lauretan cycle, a pictorial journey that expresses the full artistic and spiritual maturity of Lotto.