Loreto, also Loretto, town, central Italy, in Marche Region, near the Adriatic Sea. A famous place of pilgrimage, it is the site of the Santa Casa, or Holy House, said to be the house in which the Virgin Mary lived in Nazareth. According to tradition, the brick house was borne by angels from Galilee first to Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia), in 1291, and then to Loreto, in 1294. It is now enclosed by the Santuario della Santa Casa, a church begun in 1468 and later adorned with notable artwork. Population (1996) 10,780.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Loreto Information info
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