Editorial photo #13670696 Religion and Belief

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

A 20th-century fresco in the covered portico of the Sanctuary of La Verna, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, photographed on April 9, 2026. The composition illustrates two episodes from the foundation of the Franciscan Third Order: on the left, St. Francis kneels in prayer before a Tau cross while Count Orlando and companions look on from the hillside above; on the right, a female figure in dark robes kneels, representing Blessed Lucchesio's wife Bona at Poggibonsi. The inscription below reads: ''S. Francesco fonda il III Ordine accettando per primi il B. Lucchesio e la moglie Bona a Poggibonsi e alla Verna il Conte Orlando.'' (Photo by Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto)