The La Verna Sanctuary

For eight centuries, the Sanctuary of La Verna has been one of the most important sites for Franciscanism and for Christianity; It lies at the heart of the Casentino Forests, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park, within a monumental forest of beech, chestnut, oak and fir trees, home to over 400 species of flora. The peak on which it stands, Monte Penna, rises to 1,289 metres and is visible throughout the Casentino and the Upper Tiber Valley.

It was Count Orlando Cattani of Chiusi della Verna Castle who, on 8 May 1213, in San Leo, donated Mount Verna and its forest to Francis of Assisi: “I have in Tuscany a most devout mountain, which is called Mount della Vernia, which is very solitary and wild, and is most well-suited to those who wish to do penance, in a place removed from people, or to those who desire to lead a solitary life. If it pleases you, I would gladly give it to you and your companions for the salvation of my soul”. Francis accepted the offer and climbed up to La Verna for the first time with his companions the following year.
The friars began to build small cells there, where they withdrew to pray. In 1224, on the “barren rock between the Tiber and the Arno”, Francis received the sacred stigmata, “the final seal” as Dante Alighieri recalls in the Divine Comedy; it was precisely after this episode that La Verna came to be regarded as a “holy mountain” for having been the site of this miracle.
Subsequently, the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was built and consecrated in 1260; three years later, it received the remains of Count Orlando Cattani, who had become a Franciscan Third Order member. Around the church, the convent building and other chapels were constructed, and the main church—now a basilica—was built through the intervention of the Tarlati family of Arezzo. In 1432, the convent, together with the entire territory of the village of Chiusi, was placed under the protection of the Consuls of the Arte della Lana of Florence.
In the following centuries, the complex expanded and was restored on several occasions, following destruction caused by fires, earthquakes or military attacks.

The sanctuary of La Verna overlooks the so-called Quadrante, the large square situated in front of the building.
The chapel of Santa Maria degli Angeli represents the original nucleus of the hermitage complex, commissioned by St Francis himself; originally a small church, it was later enlarged to its current size thanks to Pope Innocent IV. Inside, there are sacred works all relating directly or indirectly to St Francis, such as the paintings by Ferdinando Folchi and the reliefs of the Nativity with St Francis and St Anthony by Andrea della Robbia. The Basilica, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, features a Renaissance entrance portico and a single nave covered by cross vaults. Inside, there are numerous works and reliefs by artists such as Andrea della Robbia and Piero di Zanobi; furthermore, a side chapel houses the remains of the Blessed Giovanni della Verna, whilst other chapels are dedicated to St Francis and Prince Piero Ginori Conti, added at a later date.

Currently, the Chapel of the Stigmata, the very heart of the sanctuary, is open to visitors; it was built on the site where the miracle is said to have taken place. Along the corridor, adorned with paintings, reliefs and frescoes dedicated to St Francis, the procession of the Ninth Hour has taken place every day at 3 pm since 1431. In the small museum, comprising large 15th-century halls and significant rooms of the convent, 15th-century illuminated choir books, liturgical furnishings, tapestries and paintings are on display. The tour concludes, after a room dedicated to the ancient pharmacy and the apothecary’s workshop, with the most characteristic space: the large communal hearth.
The life of the monks who lived in the monastery at La Verna was similar in nature to that of their founder: prayer, contemplation, penance; they were also always committed to welcoming the numerous pilgrims who, for centuries, have come to visit these sacred places. St Francis’s experience of peace and brotherhood remains, even today, the main message that the community wishes to convey to all those who visit the Sanctuary of La Verna.