Editorial photo #13670679 Religion and Belief
Basilica Of La Verna Franciscan Sanctuary With Arched Portico And Bell Tower, Tuscany
The interior of the Chapel of the Stigmata (Cappella delle Stimmate) at the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna, Casentino, Arezzo province, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026. The apse features a glazed polychrome terracotta altarpiece by the della Robbia workshop depicting the Crucifixion with angels, the Virgin, and St. John against a cobalt blue majolica background. The altar bears the inscription ''Deus Meus et Omnia.'' In the foreground, a circular fresh-flower wreath with a lit votive candle marks the floor plaque where St. Francis of Assisi is believed to have received the stigmata in September 1224. The sanctuary, donated to Francis by Count Orlando Cattani in 1213, is one of Italy's foremost Franciscan pilgrimage sites. (Photo by Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto)
