Santuario della Santa Casa in Loreto

In the Piazza della Madonna in Loreto, with a beautiful 17th century fountain, stands the Santuario della Santa Casa, a Gothic hall-church with a fortress-like exterior begun in 1468 under Pope Paul II and continued in 1479-86 by the Florentine Giuliano da Maiano; the dome dates from 1500. The handsome facade, showing influence of Late Renaissance, was added in 1583-87. The three bronze doors are decorated with figures and bas reliefs. A bronze statue of Pope Sixtus V stands on the left in front of the facade.

The interior of the church was altered from 1526 onwards. To the left of the entrance is a beautiful font (1607). Adjoining the south transept are the two sacristies, with celebrated wall paintings: on the right frescoes by Melozzo da Forli (1438-94), on the left much restored frescoes by Luca Signorelli and an assistant together with a marble fountain by Maiano. In the choir apse ("Capella dei Tedeschi") are paintings by Ludwig Seitz (1893-1908).