Along the main street of Forio, the Pontifical Basilica of Santa Maria di Loreto with the Oratory of the Assunta is full of surprises of all kinds.
It's the result of a centuries-old history, which began in the 14th century, when it was built, as soon as the news of the miracle of Loreto, and continued in the following centuries, during which the church took on the size and appearance that it still retains today. Including the two bell towers on the sides, which culminate in particular colored majolica bulbous domes. Initially built in a place far from the village, over time the town grew around it and for this reason it can be considered the ideal centre of the town, also with regards to its historical memory.
In the fourteenth century, it was a group of sailors originally from Ancona who decided to build a chapel dedicated to San Nicola da Tolentino, in which they did not fail to pay homage with an altar to the Madonna of Loreto, to whom they were devoted, introducing her cult also on the island. Two centuries later, from that first nucleus a new and larger sacred building was developed by the Archconfraternity of Santa Maria di Loreto. An icon of the Madonna of Loreto, painted on wood by Decio Tramontano in 1560, was placed in the church at the end of the apse, on a marble throne.
The congregation of the Rosary also began to refer to that recognized centre of Marian worship on the island since its foundation in 1580, and the following year commissioned Aniello De Laudello to paint a panel of the Madonna del Rosario, displayed at the end of the nave. left. At the end of the 16th century, a hospital was opened next to the church to offer treatment to the poor, integrating religious practices with social works for the benefit of the community. That small clinic was mentioned for the first time in a papal bull Gregory XIV of 10 December 1590, which authorized fishing on public holidays, as long as a quarter of the proceeds were intended to support it.
In 1954 it became the emergency room of the island and carried out that function until 1962, when the hospital donated by Angelo Rizzoli was inaugurated in Lacco Ameno.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the church was further enlarged and embellished with valuable works by important Neapolitan artists and the islanders Alfonso Di Spigna and Cesare Calise, which were added to the pre-existing pictorial works. After the last renovation, a solemn consecration to the Madonna was celebrated on 26 June 1785.
The church in its final version has a Latin cross plan and is divided into three naves. The unmistakable and prevalent Baroque style is evident everywhere, despite the co-presence of the styles of previous eras. The great profusion of fine marble on the walls finds its artistic triumph in the main altar with a frontal in Florentine inlay.
July 29, 1787 was a memorable date for the history of the church and Forio: following a request forwarded to Saint Peter, the image of the Madonna of Loreto was solemnly crowned with stars, in the presence of the delegate of the Vatican Chapter and of all the population celebrating. The coronation was repeated on 25 July 1937 in front of Cardinal Luigi Lavitrano delegated by Pope Pius XI. On the right nave, you can admire the monument to Cardinal Luigi Lavitrano, who died on 2 August 1950. Another 20th-century tomb monument, the work of Amedeo Garufi, houses the remains of Monsignor Giovanni Regine, archbishop of Trani and Barletta. In 1828 King Francis I of Bourbon with a royal decree authorized the association to boast the title of Archconfraternity in 1831.
The sacristy was enlarged in 1684 and houses various canvases and painted panels, including the portrait of Cardinal Gustavus Adolf, Prince of Hohenlohe, protector of the archconfraternity since 1868. The archive includes numerous documents, including precious ones, from the 16th century onwards.
The basilica is connected by a door to the adjacent Oratory of the Assunta, probably built at the end of the 16th century. The stucco decoration dates back to the 17th century. There are paintings by Severino Galante and other authors of the time. The majolica floor and the original wooden stalls are preserved, while the organ dates back to the 19th century.
