The Lauretan Cross was supposed to continue the legacy of the short-lived Order of the Knights of Loreto.

[2] Its task was to fight the highwaymen who harassed the surrounding area of the sanctuary and the pilgrims in the Romagna.

[1] To commemorate the third centenary of the conversion, Leo XIII allowed the Bishop of Loreto to honor suitable persons on 26 November 1888.

[1] The decoration was awarded for donations for the Basilica della Santa Casa or merit in relation to the sanctuary.

Members of the cathedral chapter of Loreto wore the cross suspended on a cord.