Editorial photo #13670692 Religion and Belief

Basilica Of La Verna Franciscan Sanctuary With Arched Portico And Bell Tower, Tuscany

An exterior view of the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna (Santuario della Verna) in the Casentino mountains, Arezzo province, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026. The wide irregular-flagstone courtyard opens toward a cluster of stone medieval buildings, including a small open bell tower with a single bell, multiple chimneys, and a backdrop of bare late-spring woodland. Two visitors are barely visible resting on a low wall in the background. Founded in 1213 when St. Francis of Assisi received Monte della Verna as a gift from Count Orlando Cattani, the sanctuary is where the stigmatization of Francis took place in September 1224, making it a major destination of Catholic pilgrimage worldwide. (Photo by Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto)