Towards the Annunciation: the meaning of the date and the history of the place
15-03-2023
Events

Towards the Annunciation: the meaning of the date and the history of the place

The solemnity of the 25th March will soon be celebrated. Nowadays, part of the walls of the Annunciation place is located in an Italian basilica. Let's see how and why this relocation from Nazareth.
As we all know, soon there will be the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, a particular moment that is not linked to the Jesus' death or resurrection, but rather to His birth. According to Christian tradition, the Announcement to the Virgin Mary took place on the 25th March, a day that was not choose by chance.

According to some historical researches, roots of this specific day are a clear consequence of Christmas, precisely to the event of the 25th December. Back to the 6th Century, the Constantinople Church celebrated the solemnity on the 25th March, the day of the spring equinox according to ancient conceptions, but also the day that marks the exact nine months before Jesus' conception. It is therefore a date with a strong symbolic religious component. This symbolism represents the time of Jesus' gestation in Our Lady's womb, which began with the Annunciation.

As it is well known, the episode of the Annunciation took place at the Virgin Mary's home, a place that is nowadays identified with a crypt in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Part of its walls remained in Nazareth until the end of the 13th Century, but then they were transferred to Loreto, a cituy in the italian region of Marche. This relocation happened as the reoccupation of the Holy Land by the Muslims caused fears for its preservation. In accordance with the tradition, the walls of Our Lady's house were carriedby angels (which is why Our Lady of Loreto is venerated as the patron saint of aviators). However, it seems that the transfer took place by ship between 1291 and 1294. Nowadays the sacred house of the Virgin is still in the Basilica of Loreto, a place that is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. (Annunciazione del Signore, guida alla festa che "inaugura" il Natale)