“The Holy House of Loreto is the first international sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin and the true Marian heart of Christianity”. These are words of John Paul II, which - beyond the spiritual content - give the significance of the most important place of devotion in the Marche and at the same time the largest pilgrimage and tourism destination in the region.
THE story - at least the traditional one - is known: the birthplace of Mary of Nazareth, at the end of the 200th century, was moved from present-day Palestine, first to Dalmatia and finally to Loreto. Translated "by angelic ministry", the documentation of the time literally states.
The documentation of the time, however, more pragmatically, also attests to the financing of the operation by the Angeli Comneno family.
Here, here we would like to pose a small reflection: in these years of unpleasant arguments between opposing factions of innocentists/culpritists, Juventus supporters/Inter supporters, conspiracy theorists/debunkers (the list is endless), for much of the history concerning the Catholic religion in Italy the mystery , the aspect "kept hidden from most", is simply something known, accepted and/or affirmed even by the Church itself.
For the Holy House of Loreto I will not dwell on the tradition, instead noting how the development of the historical events is simply little known to most people, but at the same time made public in many places: from the website of the Holy House itself, to books or websites history that has nothing "alternative" about it.
The facts: the transport of the Holy House to Italy was financed by the Comnenus Angels (a name that generates confusion between history and legend), a family of Byzantine nobles, related, in their history, to 6 emperors of Constantinople and Templar masters (one above all, Amaury of De La Roche, master of France from 1265 to 1274:) The dates are interesting in our case. In fact, close to the sultan's reconquest of almost all of the Holy Land Baibars, in 1291, the masonry walls of the house of the Madonna were transported, first to Trsat, in today's Croatia, and then, 3 years later, to the territory of Loreto.
Today the hypothesis appears certain according to which the stones of the Holy House were transported to Loreto by ship, on the initiative of the noble Angeli family, who reigned over Epirus: according to a document dated September 1294, Niceforo Angeli, despot of Epirus, gave as a dowry for her daughter Ithamar (given in marriage to Philip of Taranto, fourth son of Charles II of Anjou, king of Naples) goods among which we find "the holy stones taken away from the House of Our Lady the Virgin Mother of God".
The technical and logistical part of'operation, as Enzo Valentini recalls, it was entrusted to the knights of the Temple, “the only ones who at the time had an organizational structure capable of dismantling the small building stone by stone, transporting it safely to Italy on their ships and reassembling it upon arrival. Furthermore, Nazareth was located a few kilometers away from Athlit (Castel Pellegrino), an impregnable Templar fortress on the coast where both the men and the means necessary for the operation could be found".
The moral? Yes, it was the Angels who transported the Holy House, but by sea, on ships and not on angelic wings. If you know more people who blindly believe the traditional version, advise them to read more (which never hurts). Without taking anything away from the religious aspect.
Let's read! It benefits the mind and spirit (and nourishes the soul).
Massimiliano Giorgi
In the picture: Transport of the Holy House of Loreto – Giambattista Tiepolo – Accademia Galleries, Venice
