Loreto

Located on a hill, the town of Loreto is the second largest pilgrimage destination in Italy after St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome and is one of the world’s most important sites of pilgrimage honouring the Virgin Mary. The town’s basilica attracts a million people every year who come to visit the Holy House and the Black Madonna. The house where Mary was born, grew up and received the annunciation – located inside the basilica – is said to have been brought to this hill in the 13th century by the merchant family Angeli (Italian for Angels).

This is at least one explanation for the legend that states that angels brought the Holy House from Nazareth to Le Marche.