+
An extraordinarily ornate church, the façade of the Loreto is best described as a "Baroque fantasy", being lavished with all manner of cherubs, ecclesiastical statues and fine plasterwork.

The interior courtyard, which dates back to 1661, has long been an important religious centre for Christians, not only in Bohemia, but around the world. Indeed, its cloisters were built to consolidate the Catholic faith in Bohemia during the turmoil of the Reformation and Counter Reformation in the 16th and 17th centuries. The small Santa Casa chapel, a replica of the sacred house of Loreto (which, according to legend was transported by angels from Nazareth to Italy), stands at the centre of the courtyard, with the Church of the Nativity just behind.


+ + +