The Santa Casa of Loreto in the church of San Pantalon in Venice

The church of San Pantalon, is rather unattractive outside, but inside it hides a few surprises. In addition to the incredible ceiling with the biggest canvas painting in the world, there is a rather unique place: the ‘Santa Casa' Chapel.

This small chapel, which is accessed through a narrow corridor, was built in 1744 by the vicar of the church as a perfect copy of the Casa Santa of Loreto.

According to the legend, in 1291, the house where the Virgin Mary lived in Nazareth was brought by the Angels in flight to Loreto (AN) in order to save it from the ravages of the Seljuk Turks. In Loreto a shrine visited by many pilgrims was built at a later date.

The devotion to the Mary of Loreto was also very strong in Venice, and thus, it was decided that an exact copy of her in San Pantalon was to be built. So, above the altar in a niche, there is a small statue of the Virgin Mary painted in wood, similar to the one in Loreto.

On the walls there are the remains of frescoes by the Venetian painter Pietro Longhi, representing the Virgin Mary, the Holy Family, Saints and Angels. It is definitely an exceptional masterpiece, as it is the only religious theme created by Longhi, famous for his small paintings of everyday life in Venice.

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