Il Giubileo di Lorenzo Lotto

An exhibition in the heart of the Loreto Sanctuary

From May 24 to September 8, 2026, the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy House in Loreto, in the municipality of the same name in the province of Ancona (Marche), welcomes the exhibition 'Il Giubileo di Lorenzo Lotto'. The exhibition is housed in the museum rooms, located in the western wing of the Apostolic Palace that surrounds the famous Piazza della Madonna. It stems from the deep connection between the Venetian painter and the Loreto sanctuary, where Lotto spent the last years of his life and died in 1556.

The masterpiece: 'Saint Michael banishing Lucifer'

At the center of the exhibition is the famous 'Saint Michael banishing Lucifer', one of the most intense works left by Lorenzo Lotto to the Holy House. The canvas depicts the primordial struggle between good and evil, with the archangel casting the rebel angel into the abyss: a subject of strong spiritual and dramatic charge, in which Lotto poured his restless sensitivity and his extraordinary mastery of color and light.

Dialogue with contemporary art

The exhibition does not limit itself to displaying the 16th-century masterpiece but places it in dialogue with a contemporary triptych by the artist Gianriccardo Piccoli, who has long been engaged in investigating the conceptual and symbolic structures of Lotto's painting. The comparison between ancient and modern invites visitors to reflect on the theme of the victory of Good over Evil, interpreted in a contemporary key and linked to the legacy of the Jubilee of Hope, with its call to look to the future with confidence.

Curation and collaborations

The exhibition is curated by Vito Punzi, director of the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy House. The project arises from a collaboration initiated in 2024 between the Loreto museum and the Municipality of Trescore Balneario, on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of Lotto's frescoes in the Suardi Oratory. The work 'Saint Michael banishing Lucifer' was indeed exhibited in Trescore before returning to be the protagonist in Loreto.

An exceptional collection

The Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy House houses one of the most important collections of works by Lorenzo Lotto, with several paintings by the master displayed according to their historical arrangement, alongside works by Cristoforo Roncalli, Cesare Maccari, tapestries based on designs by Raphael, and a valuable collection of pharmacy maiolica. The exhibition is therefore also an opportunity to discover or rediscover the entire artistic heritage of the sanctuary, in one of the most frequented pilgrimage destinations in the Marche and Italy.