Monday, June 7, 2010

La Verna

Sanctuary of La Verna–Where Francis received the Stigmata

North of Arezzo is a popular shrine in the mountains with some fabulous views of the countryside. The road from Michelangelo Caprese, where Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in 1475, winds up the wooded slopes of Mt. Sovaggio on the way to Mt. Penna, given to Francis by Count Orlando of Chuisi in 1213. Francis had a camp at la Penna in an area of strange rock formations in the forest known as La Verna, now a series of buildings from different eras that make up a sanctuary. It was here that Francis received the stigmata in 1224. Families still gather at the small Sanctuary, and a network of paths web the mountains.
A walk through the forest leading to the summit of Monte Penna gives you a wide panorama view of the Tiber and the Arno valleys. READ MORE

Sanctuary of La Verna

La VERNA e i luoghi di san Francesco