THE church of Loreto was a chamber of the house of the B. Virgin nigh Hierusalem in the citty of Nazareth , in which she ws borne and bred , and saluted by the Angel , and therin conceaued and brought vp her sonne IESVS to the age of xij yeares . This chamber , after the Ascension of our B. Sauiour , was by the Apostles consecrated into a church in honour of our B. Lady ; and S. Luke made a picture to her likenes , extant therin to be seen at this very day . It was frequented with great deuotion by the people of the country wher it stood , whilst they were Catholicks ; but when , leauing the faith of Christ , they followed the sect of Mathomet , the Angels tooke it , and carrying it into Sclauonia ; placed it by a towne called Flumen ; where not being had in due reuerence , they againe transported it ouer sea to a wood in the territory of Recanati , belonging to a noble woman : called Loreta , from whom it first tooke the name of our B. Lady of Loreto ; and thence againe they carried it , by reason of the many robberies committed , to a mountain of two brothers in the said territory ; and from thence finally , in respect of their disagreement about the guifts and offerings , to the common high-way not far distant , where it now remaines , without foundation , famous for manie signes , graces , and miracles ; wherat the inhabitants of Recanati , who often came to see it , much wondring , enuironed it with a strong and thick wall ; yet could no mantel , whence it came originally , til in the yeare M. CC.XC.VI . the B. Virgin appeared in sleep to a holie deuout man , to whom she reuealed it , and he diuulged it to others of authority in this Prouince , who determining forthwith to try the truth of the vision , resolued to choose XVI . men of credit , who to that effect should go all togeather to the citty of Nazareth , as they did , carrying with them the measure of this church ; and comparing it there with the foundation yet remnant , they found them wholy agreable , and in a wall thereby ingrauen , that it had stood there , and had left the place ; which donne , they presently returning back , published the premisses to be true ; and from that time forwards , it hath byn certainly Knowne , that this church was the chamber of the B. V. to which Christians begun then , and haue euer since had great deuotion , for that in it daily she hath donne and doth many and many miracles . One Friar Paul de Silua , an Ermit of great sanctity who liued in a cottage nigh vnto this church , whither daily he went to Matins , said , that for ten yeares space , on the VIII . of September ; two howers before day , he saw a light descend from heauen vpon it , which he sayd was the B. Virgin , who there shewed herself on the feast of her Natiuity . In confirmation of all which , two vertuous men of the said citty of Recanati diuers times declared vnto me Prefect of Terreman and Gouernour of the foresaid church , as followeth : The one called Paul Renalduci , auouched , that his grandfathers grandfather , saw when the Angels brought it ouer sea , and placed it in the forementioned wood , and had often visited it there ; The other , called Francis Prior , in like sort affirmed , that his grandfather being C.XX. yeares old , had also much frequented it in the same place ; And for a further proof that it had byn there , he reported , that his ●randfathers grandfather had house nigh vnto it , wherin he dwelt , and that in his time it was carried by the Angels from thence to the mountain of the two brothers , where they placed it as abouesayd .