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This square is said to have been a pagan burial ground. The stucco façade of the Loreto is dwarfed by the Černin Palace opposite, home of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The stucco reliefs on the outside of this replica of the Holy Family’s house in Nazareth depict scenes from the Virgin Mary’s life. Inside is the miracle-working statue of Our Lady of Loreto.

The carillon was the gift of a Prague merchant whose daughter was healed by the intercession of the Lady of Loreto. An automated mechanism chimes a Marian hymn every hour.

In the inner courtyard, visitors can admire two Baroque fountains. The north fountain features a sculpture of the Resurrection; the south, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Before and after visiting the Santa Casa, pilgrims passed through the arcade and prayed at its chapels of St Anne, St Francis Seraphim, the Holy Family, the Holy Rood, St Antony of Padua and Our Lady of Sorrows.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows is dominated by the sight of a crucified, bearded woman. St Wilgifortis was a Portuguese maiden who prayed for a masculine appearance to preserve her chastity.

Originally a small alcove behind the Santa Casa, the church was expanded into its present size in 1717. The Rococo organ stands opposite the altar, over a crypt to Loreto benefactors.

On either side of the altar in the Church of the Nativity are large reliquary displays containing the remains of these two Spanish saints.

The Communists crafted this exhibit of sacred gold and silver items to show how peasants were brought to obedience with this “cheap promise of happiness beyond the grave.”

The silver work by Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach is covered with 6,222 diamonds. The Virgin looks up at her son, represented by the host in the receptacle.