According to legend, the Holy House of Mary was transported from Nazareth to Loreto by angels in the 13th century. This “flight” across the seas led Pope Benedict XV to officially declare the Our Lady of Loreto the patron saint of all aviators in 1920. In the early 2000s, to celebrate the deep bond between the Italian Air Force and their patroness, an aircraft from the National Aerobatic Team was gifted to the city. It was placed at the gateway to Piazza della Madonna, the main square of the old town of Loreto.