Our Lady of Loreto Festival at San Salvatore in Lauro

The Lauretan Sanctuary of Rome

In the heart of the Ponte district, just a stone's throw from Via dei Coronari and Piazza Navona, the church of San Salvatore in Lauro has served as the Roman sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto since 1669. It houses one of the rare 17th-century copies of the statue venerated in the Holy House of Loreto, which was destroyed in a 1921 fire. The image features a dark face, blackened by the smoke of oil lamps and votive candles, and is draped in the precious jeweled dalmatic it has worn since the 16th century. For Romans, and especially for the city's large community from the Marche region, this is the ultimate site of Lauretan devotion.

A twelve-day celebration

The solemnity on December 10th is not an isolated event; it is the culmination of a journey that begins in late November with the novena, recited every afternoon in the sanctuary and led in turn by confraternities, Padre Pio prayer groups, and associations of Marche natives living in Rome. Day by day, the church fills with worshippers, while the imposing Baroque machine is assembled in the nave to receive the statue at the end of the procession.

The Vigil and the Procession of Light

The most anticipated moment is the evening of December 9th, the vigil of the feast. The ancient statue is transferred to the nearby church of Santa Maria della Pace, where the Rosary is recited in the late afternoon. At dusk, the procession begins its slow journey through the streets of the historic center, returning the Virgin to San Salvatore in Lauro. The faithful follow with lit torches and candles—a gesture evoking the medieval custom of lighting up the countryside to mark the path of the Angels who, according to tradition, transported the Holy House of Nazareth to Loreto. This legend is the origin of the Madonna of Loreto's patronage over aviators. The arrival in the square is greeted by fireworks and the lighting of the Baroque machine, which remains illuminated throughout the festivities.

December 10th

The day of the solemnity is marked by a series of masses from the morning onwards, concluding with the solemn pontifical mass in the evening, usually presided over by a cardinal or a prelate of the Roman Curia. In recent years, the day has been preceded by a cultural and spiritual gathering in the Sala Salviati, the frescoed hall of the monumental complex that also houses the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni, the historic charitable organization for Marche natives in Rome and co-organizer of the festival.

What to see nearby

• The 16th-century cloister and refectory of the San Salvatore in Lauro complex, among the most elegant in the Roman Renaissance.
• The tomb of Pope Eugene IV, moved here from the ancient Vatican basilica.
• Santa Maria della Pace with the Bramante cloister, the starting point of the procession.
• Via dei Coronari and the alleys of the Ponte district, which look particularly spectacular with the December lights.

A Roman Christmas tradition

Falling between the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas, the Our Lady of Loreto festival effectively kicks off the holiday season in the center of Rome, the capital of the Lazio Region. It is a celebration that is both popular and intimate, far from the main tourist crowds. Anyone who happens to be in Piazza San Salvatore in Lauro on the evening of December 9th will witness a scene that has changed little over the centuries, defined by hymns, torches, and a dark statue carried on the shoulders of those who, generation after generation, continue to call her their own Madonna.