The Annunciation by Federico Barocci from the Vatican Museums

A Return Centuries in the Making

From June 13 to October 25, 2026, the Pontifical Museum of the Holy House in Loreto, in the heart of the most important Marian sanctuary in the Marche region, will host one of the year's most significant art exhibitions: the display of The Annunciation by Federico Barocci (1533-1612), a masterpiece of Mannerism from Urbino, on loan from the Pinacoteca of the Vatican Museums. For a few months, the painting returns to the place for which it was intended, offering visitors a rare opportunity to admire it in its original context, in Loreto, in the municipality of the same name in the province of Ancona.

History of the Work

The oil on panel was created by the Urbino painter between 1582 and 1584 by commission for the Chapel of Francesco Maria II Della Rovere, known as the Chapel of the Dukes of Urbino, within the Basilica of the Holy House. Considered one of the pinnacles of 16th-century sacred art, the work left Loreto during the Napoleonic era: transferred to Paris at the end of the 18th century, it returned to the Vatican in 1815, where it has been housed in the Pinacoteca ever since. The temporary return to Loreto therefore represents an event of strong historical and identity value for the city and the entire Marche region.

The Exhibition Project

The exhibition is curated by Fabrizio Biferali, from the Department of Art of the 15th-16th Centuries at the Vatican Museums, and by Vito Punzi, director of the Pontifical Museum of the Holy House. The initiative stems from the collaboration between the Pontifical Delegation of Loreto and the Vatican Museums, with the support of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Loreto and the Fondazione Opere Laiche Lauretane and Casa Hermes. The display enhances the dialogue between the artwork and the museum's extraordinary heritage, which includes masterpieces by Lorenzo Lotto, among others.

Why Visit

• Admire a masterpiece by Barocci in the place for which it was painted, over two centuries after its departure.
• Discover the Pontifical Museum of the Holy House and its collections, including canvases by Lorenzo Lotto.
• Experience the atmosphere of the Loreto sanctuary, a pilgrimage destination and crossroads of art and spirituality.

Loreto and its Sanctuary

Loreto is one of the world's foremost Catholic pilgrimage sites, famous for the Basilica housing the Holy House. The exhibition is part of the rich cultural calendar of the sanctuary and the city, which in 2026 will feature various sacred art exhibitions, making this Marche town an unmissable stop for art enthusiasts and visitors seeking an itinerary of faith, history, and beauty.