Basilika Maria Loreto

One of these major pilgrimage sites in Austria is the Basilica of Maria Loreto in the historic Bishop's city of St. Andrä.

One of the most impressive church spaces in Carinthia opens up to the amazed visitor, who suddenly finds himself amidst a fascinating symbiosis of color and light. The heart of the pilgrimage is the integrated grace chapel of the "Black Madonna" of Loreto within the church.

In the year of the second major Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683, Prince Bishop Kaspar von Stadion began the construction of the large pilgrimage church. Bishop Albert Priamis had erected a small chapel at this spot, modeled after the "House of Loreto." Soon the chapel could no longer accommodate the streams of pilgrims, and so it was decided to build a large Baroque structure. The underlying thought was likely to create a church for the Bishop of St. Andrä that was worthy of a bishoply liturgy. 

Maria Loreto is, alongside Maria Luggau, the most significant Marian pilgrimage church in Carinthia. Under Emperor Joseph II, the pilgrimage came to a halt and was revived by the Jesuits after 1859. Up to 80,000 communions were already being counted there annually in the second half of the 19th century. In the meantime, pilgrimage activities somewhat stagnated, and only recently have more pilgrims been returning to pray at the "Black Madonna" in Loreto with their concerns.

On July 21, 2014, the church was elevated to the status of a basilica by Pope Francis.

 Pilgrimages please register with the St. Andrä parish office.

Public Arrival
Train station St. Andrä
continue with the Postbus, Postbus shuttle or station shuttle (from the train station St. Paul or Wolfsberg)

Opening times

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