Editorial photo #13670708 Religion and Belief

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

A wide paved access path winds through tall bare beech trees toward a stone building of the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna on Monte della Verna, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026. Long shadows of the tree trunks stretch diagonally across the path in the low morning light, which also creates a lens flare in the upper frame. A wooden railing on the left marks the descent toward the village below, while dead leaves cover the embankment on the right, the beeches still bare in early spring at altitude. This approach through the ancient protected beech forest forms part of the traditional pilgrimage route to one of Italy's most visited Franciscan sacred sites. (Photo by Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto)