The Holy House of Loreto is the same house of Nazareth that the Archangel Gabriel visited in the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is there where the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us. The Holy Family also lived there in its return from Egypt and where Jesus spent 30 of his 33 years next to the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph.
The Holy House was soon turned into a place of gathering for the celebration of the Holy Mass of the early Christians. We can imagine with what love and veneration they took care of this Holy Place.
Today the Holy House is located inside the Basilica which was built for the House in Loreto, Italy. Inside the house of Loreto the small statue of the Virgin of Loreto is venerated.
The Holy House of Nazareth had two parts: one was a small grotto and the second part was a small brick structure that extended from the entrance of the grotto. The brick structure did not have but three walls, since one side touched the wall of the grotto.
How did the house of Nazareth arrive in Loreto, Italy? There are various traditions. One of them speaks of angels who transported the house by air. There are documents, however, that seem to indicate that the one responsible was a merchant named Nicéforo Angelo of the 13th century. Perhaps his last name inspired the idea of the move by the angels. In any case, such an extraordinary task undoubtedly had the protection and guide from Heaven. The angel had already said to the Virgin Mary in that same house, “For nothing is impossible for God.”
Attempt to destroy the Holy House
The House of Loreto is Sacred in virtue of who lived in it. Many consider the Holy House of Loreto as one of the most sacred places in the world and God did not want this house to be profaned or destroyed, but preserved for forever.
The devil, men, and the world usually go against everything God wants and with this blessed house it was the same. In 1291, the Sarracenes were conquering Holy Land. They wanted to erase the entire history of Christianity and the best way for them was by destroying all of the sacred places. They thought that by eliminating all of the visible signs of Christianity they would extinguish their love and devotion.
They went in search of each place that was venerated for its association with the life of Christ. When they arrived at the proximity of Nazareth, the Holy House did not have human defense. It was well-known because Christians from the time of the Apostles held it with great reverence and celebrated Holy Mass there. The enemies said, “Never again will Christians celebrate the Annunciation here.”
The Basilica built over the Holy House had already been destroyed twice before. The first time was in 1090 a.d. Nonetheless, the house remained intact. The Crusaders rebuilt the Basilica, but in 1263 it was destroyed again. Once again the Crusaders tried to protect the Holy House, but this time, they were not able to rebuild the Basilica and the Holy House was left unprotected.
The Tradition of the Angelic Move
According to this tradition, in 1291 when the Crusaders lost control over the Holy Land, our Lord decided to send angels to protect his Holy House and gave them the order to move the house to a secure place.“Take the Holy House to a secure place, far away from the hatred of my enemies of this land where I was born. Raise it above to the air where no one can reach it. May no one see it.”
On May 12th of 1291, the angels moved the house to a small town named Tersatto in Croatia. Very early in the morning the neighbors discovered it and they were astonished to see this House without a foundation and they could not explain how it arrived there. They entered and saw an altar of rock. On the altar there was a cedar statue of the Virgin Mary who had the child Jesus in her arms. The Child Jesus had his two fingers of his right hand extended as if he was giving a blessing. With his left hand he held a golden sphere that represented the world. Both were dressed with robes and had golden crowns.
Some days later, the Virgin Mary appeared to a priest of that place and explained to him where the house came from. She said, “You should know that the house that was recently brought to your land is the same house in which I was born and grew up. Here, in the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel, I conceived the Creator of all things. Here, the Word became flesh. The altar that was moved with the house was consecrated by Peter, the Prince of the Apostles. This house has come from Nazareth to your land by the power of God for whom nothing is impossible. Now, so that you can give a testimony of this, be healed. Your unexpected and sudden healing will confirm the truth that I have declared to you today.”
The priest who had been sick for a long time was healed immediately and announced to the people the miracle that had occured. Pilgrimages to the Holy House began. The residents of this small town built over the Holy House a simple building to protect it from the elements of nature.
The joy of the Croatians, however, lasted a very short time. After the three years and seven months that the house was in this town, on the night of December 10 of 1294, the house disappeared from Tersatto to never return again.
A devoted resident of Tersatto built a small church on the place where the house had been. It was a replica of the Holy House and he put the following inscription, “The Holy House of the Virgin Mary came from Nazareth on May 10, 1291 and stayed here until December 10, 1294.
The Croatian people continued to venerate our Blessed Mother in the replica of the Holy House. Their devotion was so great that Pope Urban V sent the people of Tersatto an image of Our Blessed Mother in 1367. This image is believed to have been sculpted by Saint Luke.
The Holy House is taken to Italy
On December 10 of 1294, some shepherds of the region of Loreto in Italy reported to have seen a house flying over the ocean, held by angels. There was an angel dressed with a red cape (Saint Michael) who directed the others and the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus were seated on the House. The angels lowered the house on the place named Banderuola.
Many arrived to visit this holy house, but there were also some who went to mug the pilgrims. For this reason, people stopped going and the house was again moved by the angels to a hill in the middle of a farm. The Holy House would not remain there for much longer. The farm belonged to two brothers who began to discuss who was the owner of the house. For a third time the house was moved to another hill and they placed it in the middle of the path. This is the place that it has occupied for 700 years.
The residents of Recanati and Loreto truly did not know the story of the Holy House; they only knew of the miracles that took place there. Two years later, the Virgin Mary appeared to a hermit named Paul and she told him the origin and the history of the Holy House:
“It was kept in the city of Nazareth until with the permission of God those who honored this house were thrown out by the enemies. Since it was no longer honored and it was in danger of being profaned, my Son wanted to transfer it from Nazareth to Yugoslavia and from there to your land.”
Paul then told this story to the townspeople and they began a process to verify the authenticity of the house. They first went to Tersatto and later to Nazareth.
Investigations From the Experts
The experts assigned to this project went to Tersatto. There they verified that the walls were of a reddish color and close to 16 inches wide. They also discovered that the replica measured exactly the same as the Loreto house. The house measured 31 ¼ feet long by 13 feet 4 inches wide by 28 feet high. It had only one door of 7feet tall and 4 1/2 feet wide. It also had a window. All of the descriptions, including those of the interior elements and the statues agreed. In Nazareth they discovered that it truly was the house of the Virign Mary. The measurements of its foundatin were exactly the same as those of Loreto and the model built in Tersatto.
After six months they returned to Loreto and declared the authenticity of the Holy House. Years later, they found coins underneath the house that were not only from the area of Nazareth but also from the time during which the house was in Nazareth. The stones and the soil used to fill the house were identical to the ones used in Nazareth during that time and civilation. The house does not have a foundation since it stayed in Nazareth.
A Sacred Place
The Holy House is considered one of the most sacred places in the world. Before the Holy House was transferred, Saint Francis of Assisi had profetized that one day Loreto would be called the most sacred place in the world and, for this reason, a house should be built there.Many saints, blesseds, and Popes have visited the house. Amongst them: Saint Francis of Sales made his vows of celibacy in the Holy House; Saint Therese of Lisieux – before she went to ask the Pope for permission to enter the Carmel at the age of 15, she visited the Holy House; Saint Maximilian Kolbe – in his return to the city of the Immaculata, shortly before being taken to the concentration camp; and many other saints.
Many pilgrims go each year to visit the Holy House, the place where the Holy Family lived and received the graces God wanted to grant them. It is a tradition to pray on one’s knees the Holy Rosary around the House. It is a penetiantial rosary asking the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Processions with candles of the Blessed Sacrament form part of the celebrations in the Basilica of the Holy House of Loreto.
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