Did you know that according to legend, in the 13th century, the holy house of Mary was moved from Palestine to Italy on angel wings?
If this were true, this flight would be the first transport flight in the history of the world! And over what distance - the road from Palestine to Italy is over 2,200 km. But of course, when you are an angel, anything is possible.
Historians, however, claim that the stones from Mary's house in Nazareth were brought by Christians by sea, first to Croatia and later to Italy. The house of Mary was supposedly brought to the coast of the Adriatic Sea by the nobleman Niceforo Angelo, who placed it in a forest belonging to a noblewoman named Loreta or in a laurel forest - historians do not agree on this. It was then that the name of the town was created - Loreto. This is how the history of this place began, which continues to this day.
Therefore, whether the transport of the house took place thanks to the capabilities of Mr. Angelo, or whether angelic powers and capabilities participated in this project - no one can confirm one hundred percent. The most important thing, however, was that it was a success - Mary's house was not destroyed, but ended up in Loreto, where for many years pilgrims from all over the world coming to the local sanctuary can "touch" the holy place where it all began: where over two thousand years ago Archangel Gabriel announced to the surprised Mary that she would conceive and give birth to a son, whom she would name Jesus. You probably know the rest of this story.
Referring to the legend of angels, in 1920, Our Lady of Loreto became the patroness of pilots (including air forces), stewards and all people working in aviation. Yes, yes – engineers, dispatchers and ground staff are also protected! Our Lady of Loreto also has under her protection all those traveling by air, which is a really large group of inhabitants of our planet today. Every year on December 10, services are organized and people pray to Our Lady of Loreto for pilots and air travelers.
There are many reasons to go to Loreto. A visit to Our Lady of Loreto, patron saint of air travelers, is certainly one of them. And if we get to this picturesque town on the Adriatic Sea, we should also visit the Historical Aviation Museum located here. We will get there by walking along the street leading to the Basilica. Entrance is free, and the volunteers taking care of this place will be happy to show visitors around.
The inspiration for the creation of the exhibition is the love for history, passion for flying and, above all, pride in military aviation. The exhibition consists of dozens of original, and in some cases unique, exhibits from the war and post-war period, which present a "winged history", telling the fate of the Italian Air Force from its beginnings to the present day.
Here you can see a number of Air Force military uniforms, flight suits and aviation equipment that capture the imagination of the youngest and touch those who saw the equipment in use.
Guests can also use a flight simulator and feel like professional pilots for a moment.
Let's fly to Loreto!
More information: https://museostoricoaeronautico.it/
