File:The cities of Romagna and the Marches (1913) (14764658551).jpg

Identifier: citiesofromagnam00hutt (find matches)
Title: The cities of Romagna and the Marches
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Hutton, Edward, 1875-
Subjects: Cities and towns -- Italy Art -- Italy Romagna (Italy) -- Description and travel Marche (Italy) -- Description and travel
Publisher: London : Methuen
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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town ofthe March. From afar Loreto had seemed indeed toconsist of little more than the great sixteenth-centurychurch, which, rising out of the silver of the olive gardens,crowns the hill on which it stands with so wonderful acrown of gold ; and though, as I soon found, the city,spread over the hillside behind the great sanctuary, is byno means small, the impression I had received from afarproved to be a true one, for Loreto is really nothing but ashrine about which a vast church, splendid courts, a hugecollege and a great palace have been built, and under whoseshadow lies the little city, a pilgrim as it were come to doreverence. The whole place has an aspect of serenityand reserve, an almost ceremonious air of peace whichchimes very happily with the smiling countryside—averitable paradise—in which it stands. The fact that Loreto is a shrine, one of the most famoussanctuaries in Europe, often stands, I think, in the way of any fair judgment in regard to it. For instance, more 164
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ROSARY STALLS LORETU LORETO 165 than once I was warned, and by Italians, not to go to Loreto,because, being a shrine, it necessarily swarmed with beggarswhose mutilations and importunity made a visit there anuisance and an agony. Even had such a warning beentrue, the fact that one will be a little worried for almsis a mighty poor excuse for avoiding anything beautiful,curious, or holy. Fortunately, I knew Assisi, and remem-bering the happy days I had spent there among the halt,the maim and the afflicted, I plucked up courage enoughto disregard all the Idndly attempts to prevent my pilgrim-age with prejudice, and having seen Castelfidardo, a shrineof modern Italy, I felt bound to go on a visit to Loreto,which is a shrine of the older Italy which I love, and ofthe whole world. I had not been three hours in Loreto before I knew howfalse were all those prophecies of unhappiness. And I willhere state at once that during the whole of my visit tothat famous and beautiful place I was not once

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