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The Church of Our Lady of Loreto: The Torchlight Procession on the Border Between Lazio and Umbria
The Chiesa della Madonna di Loreto is located in Lugnola, a district of Configni, in the province of Rieti, the last outpost of Lazio before crossing the border to Umbria. It is a small country church, with a rectangular ground plan and simple profile that gives no hint of what happens inside and around it. According to historical sources, this small rural church was built in the late 17th century thanks to the devotion of the locals, and remains tied to the community’s deep Marian tradition.
A church in the woods, built by the people
The documents confirm that the inhabitants of Lugnola, not a nobleman or a religious order, wanted the church. It stands in an area the locals still call “sotto la Madonna” (beneath the Virgin Mary): a small wood just to the south of the village. The parish of Lugnola belongs to the Diocese of Terni, not Rieti: a small detail that reveals how deeply felt the border location is felt, even in the daily life of faith.
The procession of the ’ndusse
On the fourth Sunday of April a procession is held in honour of Our Lady of Loreto. What sets it apart from a thousand other processions are the “’ndusse”: torches fixed to the ground, handmade using a complex technique and materials found locally. They light up the route like a trail of fire. It is part of the local cultural heritage, one of those traditions handed down from generation to generation.
