Wender·Vista
Pontifical basilica of the Holy House of Loreto
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileItaly
in the Marche hills above the Adriatic

Pontifical basilica of the Holy House of Loreto

— — the house at the centre of the basilica.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A Renaissance basilica built around a small stone house, venerated as the Nazareth home of the Virgin Mary. Tradition holds the house arrived in 1294, carried by angels. Modern scholars credit a Crusader-era family named Angeli. The marble screen around the Santa Casa was designed by Bramante. Loreto sits in the Marche hills, six kilometres in from the Adriatic, and pilgrims have walked the road from Recanati for seven centuries.

from the studio
Pontifical basilica of the Holy House of Loreto
— bring it home

Pontifical basilica of the Holy House of Loreto, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Pontifical basilica of the Holy House of Loreto

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The basilica stands in Loreto, a hill town in the Marche region of central Italy, about six kilometres inland from the Adriatic at roughly 125 metres elevation. Building began in 1469 under Pope Paul II to enclose and protect the Santa Casa, the small stone house venerated as the Nazareth home of the Virgin Mary. Successive Renaissance architects, including Giuliano da Sangallo, Donato Bramante and Andrea Sansovino, shaped the structure over the following two centuries. The shrine is one of the most-visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe.

— the stone

At the centre of the basilica stands the Santa Casa itself, three small walls of limestone and sandstone, roughly 9.5 by 4 metres. Around it rises Bramante's marble screen, completed in the 1530s, carved with prophets, sibyls and scenes from the life of the Virgin. The Lauretana facade is travertine, and the bronze doors were added for the Holy Year of 1600. The Black Madonna of Loreto, a cedarwood statue, stands in the niche above the altar.

— informed by Wikipedia
— the visit

The basilica is open daily from early morning to late evening, with the Santa Casa accessible during posted hours. Loreto is reached from the Adriatic rail line at Loreto-Porto Recanati station, about ten minutes from the basilica by shuttle. The nearest larger airport is Ancona, twenty-five kilometres north. Our Lady of Loreto is the patroness of aviators, designated by Pope Benedict XV in 1920, and her feast day is 10 December. Pilgrim numbers swell each year for the Lauretana festivities.

— informed by Santuario di Loreto
— where
Italy · Loreto, Marche
— elevation
127 m · 417 ft
— position
43.4392° N · 13.6107° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
7 km SW
Recanati
hill town
25 km N
Ancona
port city
8 km E
Porto Recanati
Adriatic resort
25 km SW
Macerata
hill town
N
Pontifical basilica of the Holy House of Loreto
Recanati
Ancona
Porto Recanati
Macerata
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Pontifical basilica of the Holy House of Loreto — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The Santa Casa is a small stone dwelling, three walls of limestone and sandstone, venerated since the late thirteenth century as the Nazareth home of the Virgin Mary. It stands within Bramante's marble screen at the centre of the basilica.

Tradition holds the house was carried by angels from Nazareth in 1294 by way of Croatia. Modern historians credit the Angeli, a Byzantine-Greek family of Crusader connections whose name was later read as 'angels.'

Construction began in 1469 under Pope Paul II and continued for more than a century. Architects involved included Giuliano da Sangallo, Donato Bramante and Andrea Sansovino. The Lauretana facade was completed under Sixtus V.

Our Lady of Loreto is the Marian title attached to the Santa Casa. Pope Benedict XV designated her patroness of aviators in 1920. Her feast day is 10 December and the basilica is her principal shrine.

Loreto-Porto Recanati station sits on the Adriatic rail line, about ten minutes from the basilica by shuttle. The nearest airport is Ancona, twenty-five kilometres north. The town is accessible in every season.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers with Marian devotion, especially those who have made the pilgrimage to Loreto. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note travels well, particularly near the 10 December feast.

The basilica's warm travertine and jewel-tone interior reads well in jewel-tone Maximalist, classical-traditional, and warm Minimalist rooms. The piece anchors a home altar, library, or entryway.

A single Large suits a console. For a sofa wall, a four-tile Mural carries the vertical proportions of the facade.

Yes. Choose the Dura Satin or Matte finish for damp rooms. Both are scratch-resistant and tolerate steam. The Glossy finish is best for dry walls and framed pieces.

A soft microfibre cloth and water are enough. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so the surface tolerates regular cleaning without fading.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original studio work, made in Knoxville under Reid Wender's eye, and not licensed from third parties.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.
— a collection

The Italian Dolomites,
painted slow.

The valleys between Cortina and Val Gardena, the tarns you walk an hour to see, the towers that turn the colour of a banked fire just before dark. Wander the collection by valley, by season, or follow the path Reid walked.

Tre Cime
Braies
Misurina
Sorapis
Cinque Torri
Sassolungo
Marmolada