The Church of Maria Santissima di Loreto is the sanctuary of the patron saint of Torino di Sangro and one of the oldest places of worship in the town. The original structure dates back to the early 14th century, a few decades after the miraculous transfer of the Holy House of Mary from Nazareth to Loreto (on the night of December 9–10, 1294). At the time, it was a small building constructed outside the town walls.
A bequest in a will dated 1469, from fellow townswoman Maria, daughter of Nicolò di Bartolomeo, marked the first major expansion of the building: the ancient wooden statue of the Madonna of Loreto, 80 cm tall and depicted seated with her arms open toward the Child, also dates from that period.
In the 17th century, the church was completely rebuilt and expanded: a description from 1703 already documents the side aisles and the bell tower. That same year, Archpriest Priori—after whom the nearby palace is also named—renovated the floor, the niche, the altar, and the marble balustrade thanks to contributions from Monsignor Adami and fellow citizens who had emigrated to America. The style is Baroque: a three-order façade and a three-nave interior.
Inside, the magnificent 18th-century high altar in polychrome marble and the 19th-century organ above the entrance stand out. In 1907, again with the help of emigrants, the solemn metal throne was created. The bronze door by sculptor A. Di Spoltore, inaugurated on April 4, 1999, and donated by the De Mia-Serra family, is the latest great sign of Turin’s devotion.
The church is the focal point of the Viso Adorno ritual, one of the town’s most cherished traditions: the statue of the Madonna is carried out onto the churchyard, and the singers intone the traditional hymn of the “Viso Adorno” at the first light of dawn.
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