Organ nb. 46 The choir organ of the Annunciation Basilica in Nazareth
At the lowest level of the Basilica is the crypta where one can see the House of Maria and Joseph. The choir organ which is located there replaces an Italian organ made by the firm Tamburini almost one hundred years before. It has been made by the same organ-builder, the Austrian firm Rieger, which has also built all the other organs used by the Franciscans in Nazareth (the two organs of the Basilica and St Joseph church), in Bethleem (the organ of theSanta Catarina Basilica), in Jerusalem (the two organs of the Holy Sepulcher church, the organ of the Saint Saviour Franciscan Franciscan Monastery and the organ of the Church of Gethsemani).
This organ was luckier than the other two organs of Nazareth for there is a slightly better acoustic in the lower part of the Basilica. It is standing on the floor and cannot be reached neither by the public nor by the organist. It is not enclosed in any wooden box, thus unprotected from heat, humidity and dirt. It has been inaugurated together with the two other on the 08-12-2012 by the IItalian organist Paolo Oreni.