Loreto

Located at an altitude of 127 m in the extreme Apennine hills, it dominates the sea and short coastal plain. It is an agricultural centre (vineyards, olive groves, vegetables and animal fodder). There is a lot of tourist activity, particularly for religious travellers. There is also the production of religious articles, such as crowns for rosaries. It has the character of a city centralized around a religious shrine, one of the most famous Christian sanctuaries in the world. The old centre is based on a characteristic plan which follows the capricious hills and partly retains the appearance of the XVI - XVIII centuries and is surrounded by sixteenth century walls and ramparts. In addition to the basilica are interesting renaissance city walls and ramparts, the fountain of Madonna (Carlo Maderno, 1614) and the statue of Sixtus V (A. Calcagni and T. Vergelli, 1589) that rise before the shrine, and the Apostolic Palace which has a rich collection of art, including paintings by Lorenzo Lotto from around 1530-1535.