The Via Lauretana: The Way to the Sanctuary of Loreto
In the central Marche, an ancient pilgrimage route through hills and walled villages leading to the sanctuary of Loreto. Far from the fame of the great European ways, it remains little walked and is almost always crossed in solitude, among cultivated fields and compact historic centres.
Foto: Parsifall (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons
There is a route that crosses the heart of the Marche and that few people know, even though it is one of the oldest pilgrimage lines in Italy. The Via Lauretana leads to the sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto, a destination that over the centuries has drawn pilgrims from all over Europe, and yet today its paths among the hills are often deserted. While the more famous ways grow crowded, here you move among wheat fields and rows of vines, crossing paths with more tractors than fellow travellers.
The route links the inland to the Adriatic coast, winding among walled villages that preserve their old appearance. Traditionally you start from the Marche interior and head down towards the sea, with Loreto as the final goal. Along the way you come across towns such as Macerata, a compact university city gathered around its square and the famous Sferisterio, and then the small perched settlements dotting the hilly ridges. Recanati, the birthplace of Giacomo Leopardi, is an almost obligatory stop: the Hill of the Infinite, the square of the Sabato del Villaggio and the tower of the Passero Solitario evoke the places of Leopardi's poetry and offer sweeping views over the hills and the sea.
Loreto
The grand finale is Loreto, dominated by the basilica that guards the Holy House. The sanctuary is one of the most important in Marian Christianity and deserves time: the dome, the chapels decorated by artists from different eras and the atmosphere of the town that grew up around it. Arriving on foot, after walking for days through the hills, gives the destination a different flavour compared with those who reach it by car or coach.
What makes the Via Lauretana special is precisely this alternation between nature and culture: you walk for hours among fields and copses, in a silence broken only by the wind, and then suddenly you enter a walled village where every stone tells centuries of history. The hills of the Marche do not have the drama of the great mountains, but a measured beauty, made of soft lines, isolated farmhouses and country churches hidden among the vine rows. It is a landscape that invites you to slow down and that reveals itself little by little, rewarding those who can walk without haste and stop to listen.
Getting there
To reach the starting point, the Marche railway network is convenient: the Adriatic line serves the coast, while regional trains run up towards the interior as far as Macerata. Loreto has its own station on the Adriatic line, which makes it easy to close the walk and return. Those who prefer to travel by car can leave the vehicle at one point and use public transport for the way back. The walk lends itself to being split into several daily stages, sleeping in the villages you cross: the accommodation is modest but welcoming, and in many cases run by locals happy to tell you about their land.
When to go
The best time to walk the Via Lauretana is spring, between April and May, or September. In these months the hills are green or golden, the temperatures allow you to walk for a long time without suffering the heat, and above all you avoid both the summer mugginess and the crowds that, in the peak months, mainly affect the coast and the sanctuary during Marian feasts. September offers golden light and quiet countryside after the harvest, with the grape-picking colouring the slopes. April and May bring the reawakening of the vegetation and still-long days. Walking off-season you meet very few people: the classic pilgrimage remains a niche phenomenon, and the hill paths are not part of the mass-tourism circuits.
Practical tips
A practical tip: the waymarking on the route is not always as dense as on the more organised paths, so it is best to bring a GPS track downloaded in advance and keep your phone charged, perhaps with a spare battery. The Marche hills are a succession of continuous ups and downs, never extreme but constant, so comfortable, well-tested footwear makes more difference than athletic fitness. Take advantage of the stops in the villages to taste the local cuisine, from vincisgrassi to cave-aged cheeses, and to refill your bottle at the public fountains of the historic centres. Finally, find out the opening hours of the churches along the way: many are little treasure chests of art, but in the villages they often open only during certain time slots.
Practical guides for Como
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Via Lauretana?
The recommended time is April, May and September, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Via Lauretana?
The Via Lauretana is located in Central Marche.
