Day 7 - Lanciano, Loreto, & Assisi

 I've made it one of my goals for the year to have this trip about Italy all "documented" by the end of the year. 

Life just keeps getting in my way.

Sunday, September 25th, 2022, this all happened:

First, we got up and went to Lanciano to visit St. Francis Church to attend Mass and to see one of the Eucharistic Miracles. 

It was a dreary day, trying to rain off and on all morning, at least. When I remember the walk from the bus to the church, all I can picture is how grey everything looked to me, even more so than my pictures turned out. I also had to be careful walking (and taking pictures), because the roads were slippery from the rain that had just stopped. I think it started raining when we were at Mass, but it was over by the time we were walking back to the bus.

The way to get into the church was really weird. You see it, but then you have to go down a totally different alley just to get inside of it.

Here's the Eucharist. So, when a monk was saying Mass one day, having doubts about the true presence of Jesus, the bread and wine actually became flesh and blood:

I believe this was on the lower level. This was where the miracle actually happened:

On the road again to go to Loreto:

The Marian Sanctuary of Loreto is where the Holy House is located. According to tradition, angels transported the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary here. This house was where Mary was born and raised and where the angel, Gabriel, appeared to her at the Annunciation.

So, this Huge Sanctuary was built around the house. The sanctuary itself is well worth the visit.

Instead of going in the main entrance, we went through the long hallway-looking entrance you see here with our tour guide for the sanctuary:

Within the hall, there were stones up on the wall depicting historical events associated with the Holy House. I can't remember if they are pieces of the house itself or not. I don't think so. I think they may be from the same time period. I really, really wish I wasn't sick during this time so that I could've blogged the day these things were actually happening so I could get down what actually happened.

This plaque in particular is telling the legend of how the Holy House was transported. It is said that angels picked up the house and took it to Loreto. According to our guide, however, (I wish I could remember his name. He was one of our best, I think), said that it was more likely that a family who's name was close to "Angel" actually moved the house brick by brick, smuggling it to Loreto because they feared that it was going to be destroyed.

Finally, we get to go inside the sanctuary. And it is just breathtaking:

I really really wish that we had more time in the sanctuary and all its chapels and side rooms, but tours are not about soaking everything in, but "Go, go, go! We must get to everything in this amount of time!" 

First hallway was filled with beautiful paintings and, of course, an awesome ceiling:

The ceiling of this particular part has bible stories pertaining specifically to Mary.

Hey, look: Adam and Eve. Because, you know, Mary is the New Eve.

This first chapel was just indescribable. My neck hurt so bad from looking up the entire time. On either side were items from people who visited, I'm pretty sure.

Moving along, we went into the heart of the sanctuary to see the Holy House. And I can say that almost quite literally. You see, the sanctuary is in the shape of a body...specifically, it is shaped like Christ's body, which you can see from an aerial view. It makes sense to me that the house would be placed there, since Jesus has such love for us that he would come to earth...which he did in his mother's house when he was conceived. 

The outside of the house is protected (I guess) by another layer of a house that has sculptures all around it (I guess? That's how I perceived it, anyway).

The sanctuary's dome:

View of the house:

Side chapels in the sanctuary are dedicated to different countries.

Another view of the dome:

One of the doors of the Holy House:

Close-ups of the sculpting on the house:

Of course, they are biblical events, events pertaining mostly to Mary, and/or biblical figures.

I believe this is supposed to be King David:

The Annunciation:

So, I don't have any pictures inside of the Holy House (surprise, surprise), because taking pictures inside is against the rules. Someone is actually in there to make sure that you don't.

But, once again, I felt a lot better when I was in there. I don't know if I said this in my previous blog, but while I was in the cave where St. Michael appeared, I felt so much better (physically, from my cold). The same happened here. It was like all the pressure in my nose disappeared and I didn't have any cough. 

I should've just stayed there for the rest of the trip. I told Mom this on the bus ride to Assisi, and she agreed: I should've just put up a cot in the corner and slept there, because I was getting worse.

We also got to go around the entire sanctuary and our guide quickly pointed out different things, since his time with us was limited.

More cool ceilings:

I found the organ:

This chapel had beautiful artwork on the story of the Passion and Resurrection:

Here's the side chapel for the USA:

I spy JFK:

All-in-all, the day was totally worth it. I got to visit a beautiful sanctuary, Mary's house, and get a little bit of relief from my stupid cold again.

I went to bed coughing up my lungs again, but I was interested to find out how I would like the next day, because we had made it to Assisi: the place that many people here at home swear is there favorite place in Italy.

Spoiler: it is not mine.