Loreto, Marche
Loreto | |
---|---|
Comune di Loreto | |
Coordinates: 43°26′20″N 13°36′31″E / 43.43889°N 13.60861°E | |
Country | Italy |
Region | Marche |
Province | Ancona (AN) |
Frazioni | Costabianca, Grotte, Stazione, Villa Berghigna, Villa Costantina, Villa Musone, Villa Papa |
Government | |
• Mayor | Paolo Niccoletti |
Area | |
• Total | 17.69 km2 (6.83 sq mi) |
Elevation | 127 m (417 ft) |
Population (28 February 2009) | |
• Total | 12,278 |
• Density | 690/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
Demonym | Loretani or Lauretani |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 60025 |
Dialing code | 071 |
Patron saint | Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Saint day | December 10 |
Website | Official website |
Loreto (/ləˈrɛtoʊ/ lə-RET-oh, US also /ləˈreɪtoʊ/ lə-RAY-toh, Italian: [loˈreːto]) is a hill town and comune of the Italian province of Ancona, in the Marche. It is most commonly known as the seat of the Basilica della Santa Casa, a popular Catholic pilgrimage site.
Location
Loreto is located 127 meters (417 feet) above sea level on the right bank of the Musone river and 22 kilometers (14 miles) by rail south-southeast of Ancona; like many places in the Marche, it provides good views from the Apennines to the Adriatic.
Main sights
The city's main monuments occupy the four sides of the piazza: the college of the Jesuits; the Palazzo Comunale (formerly the Palazzo Apostolico), designed by Bramante, that houses an art gallery with works of Lorenzo Lotto, Vouet and Annibale Carracci as well as a collection of maiolica, and the Shrine of the Holy House (Santuario della Santa Casa). It also boasts a massive line of walls, designed by the architect (and military engineer) Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, which were erected from 1518 and reinforced in the 17th century.
Gallery
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The Basilica della Santa Casa from behind
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The Basilica della Santa Casa
Twin towns and sister cities
Loreto is twinned with:
- Mariazell, Austria
- Fátima, Portugal
- Altötting, Germany
- Częstochowa, Poland
- Lourdes, France
- Nazareth, Israel
- Harissa, Lebanon
- Għajnsielem, Malta
See also
- Shrine of the Holy House
- Shrines to the Virgin Mary
- Territorial prelature of Loreto
- Sisters of Loreto