"Devotion"

#13670688

6 May 2026

A wide interior view of the Chapel of the Stigmata at the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026, shows the spatial relationship between the 15th-century inlaid wooden choir stalls, the polychrome geometric tile floor, and the monumental della Robbia glazed terracotta altarpiece filling the apse. Fresh flowers adorn the white marble altar inscribed ''Deus Meus et Omnia,'' while a circular mixed-rose wreath marks the floor plaque of the stigmatization site. The absence of visitors and the soft directional light highlight the chapel's concentration of Renaissance sacred art within a space of continuous active devotion since the 13th century.

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#13670681

6 May 2026

The interior of a historic Catholic church in the Casentino area of Arezzo province, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026. The photograph is taken from the rear of the nave toward the main altar, showing multiple stone arches spanning the wide nave lined with dark wooden pews under mixed natural and artificial light. A large clock face is visible on a column to the right, alongside baroque side altars and marble chapel enclosures. The pipe organ and a gilded main altar are visible at the far end. A small notice rests on the nearest pew, indicating visiting hours or devotional guidelines. The absence of worshippers conveys the characteristic midday stillness of Italian provincial churches.

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#13670683

6 May 2026

An overhead close-up of the octagonal marble floor plaque marking the site where St. Francis of Assisi is believed to have received the stigmata on September 14, 1224, inside the Chapel of the Stigmata at the Sanctuary of La Verna, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026. The stone slab, engraved with a Latin inscription bearing the name of San Francesco, is encircled by a dense floral wreath of pink, salmon, and red roses interspersed with eucalyptus foliage. A single lit votive candle placed at the center adds a devotional focal point. The surrounding floor features a diamond-pattern polychrome marble inlay typical of Tuscan Franciscan sacred architecture.

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#13670695

6 May 2026

The ancient woollen habit traditionally attributed to St. Francis of Assisi is displayed in an illuminated conservation case at the Sanctuary of La Verna, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026. The coarse dark-brown tunic with a separate pointed hood shows extensive deterioration, tears, and a large fragmentary void at the chest, consistent with centuries of handling and veneration. A black-and-white chessboard marble floor is partially visible surrounding the case. Preserved as a first-class Franciscan relic, the garment is among the most significant devotional objects at La Verna, where Francis spent extended periods of solitary prayer between 1213 and his death in 1226, including the retreat during which he received the stigmata.

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#13670700

6 May 2026

A lone visitor walks in silhouette through the long glazed gallery corridor at the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026. Bright spring sunlight streaming through large steel-framed multi-pane windows casts a pattern of rectangular shadows across the dark stone floor. The left wall is lined with devotional frescoes depicting episodes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi, while a Franciscan prayer text in calligraphic script is visible on the right wall. The corridor connects the main sanctuary buildings, suspended between the interior space and the forested mountain landscape outside.

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#13670706

6 May 2026

A narrow stone path between overhanging boulders and moss-covered rock walls is seen in the sacred itinerary of the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, on April 9, 2026. Residual ice and snow cover the lower path at 1,128 meters in early spring, while stone steps lead toward a brighter opening above. The vertical composition highlights the confined narrowness of the rocky canyon and the slow seasonal transition on Monte della Verna. A small devotional image is affixed to a post on the left. This rocky terrain served as the hermitage of St. Francis of Assisi in the early 13th century, with its character remaining substantially unchanged.

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#13658355

3 May 2026

A teenager lights a candle at the Maria Jurang Metes Prayer Garden in Bantul, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on May 1, 2026. May is observed by Catholics as the Month of Mary, during which they make pilgrimages to Marian shrines as an act of devotion.

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#13658356

3 May 2026

A teenager lights a candle at the Maria Jurang Metes Prayer Garden in Bantul, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on May 1, 2026. May is observed by Catholics as the Month of Mary, during which they make pilgrimages to Marian shrines as an act of devotion.

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#13658357

3 May 2026

A teenager lights a candle at the Maria Jurang Metes Prayer Garden in Bantul, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on May 1, 2026. May is observed by Catholics as the Month of Mary, during which they make pilgrimages to Marian shrines as an act of devotion.

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#13649162

1 May 2026

Devotees and officials carry the historic stone Buddha statue known as Kwapa Dyah from Hanuman Dhoka Museum in Kathmandu, Nepal, back to its original shrine at Nhuchhe Baha (Bajradhatu Vihar) in Jor Ganesh, Ombahal, on May 1, 2026, during the 2570th Buddha Jayanti. The Vajradhatu Buddha sculpture, significant both archaeologically and religiously, was previously stolen and later found at the Tibet House Collection in New York, United States. It was repatriated to Nepal approximately four years ago and kept at the Chhauni National Museum through efforts by the Department of Archaeology, heritage activists, and related institutions. Following legal procedures under the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 (Section 20A), the statue is now formally returned to its original guthi custodians, marking a step in the recovery of cultural heritage and reinforcing community-based conservation practices.

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#13649163

1 May 2026

The historic stone Buddha statue known as Kwapa Dyah is seen as officials carry it from Hanuman Dhoka Museum in Kathmandu, Nepal, back to its original shrine at Nhuchhe Baha (Bajradhatu Vihar) in Jor Ganesh, Ombahal, on May 1, 2026, on the occasion of the 2570th Buddha Jayanti. The archaeologically and religiously significant sculpture, identified as a Vajradhatu Buddha, had been stolen in the past and later surfaced at the Tibet House Collection in New York, United States. It was repatriated to Nepal around four years ago and kept at the Chhauni National Museum through coordinated efforts of the Department of Archaeology, heritage activists, and related institutions. Following legal procedures under the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 (Section 20A), the statue has now been formally returned to its original guthi custodians.

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#13649164

1 May 2026

The Nepal Police Band performs music as officials carry the historic stone Buddha statue known as Kwapa Dyah from Hanuman Dhoka Museum in Kathmandu, Nepal, back to its original shrine at Nhuchhe Baha (Bajradhatu Vihar) in Jor Ganesh, Ombahal, on May 1, 2026, during the 2570th Buddha Jayanti. The Vajradhatu Buddha statue, which is archaeologically and religiously significant, was previously stolen and later found at the Tibet House Collection in New York, United States. It was repatriated to Nepal approximately four years ago and kept at the Chhauni National Museum through efforts by the Department of Archaeology, heritage activists, and related institutions. Following legal procedures under the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 (Section 20A), the statue has been formally returned to its original guthi custodians, marking a step in the recovery of cultural heritage and reinforcing community-based conservation practices.

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#13649165

1 May 2026

The Nepal Police Band performs music as officials carry the historic stone Buddha statue known as Kwapa Dyah from Hanuman Dhoka Museum in Kathmandu, Nepal, back to its original shrine at Nhuchhe Baha (Bajradhatu Vihar) in Jor Ganesh, Ombahal, on May 1, 2026, during the 2570th Buddha Jayanti. The Vajradhatu Buddha statue, which is archaeologically and religiously significant, was previously stolen and later found at the Tibet House Collection in New York, United States. It was repatriated to Nepal approximately four years ago and kept at the Chhauni National Museum through efforts by the Department of Archaeology, heritage activists, and related institutions. Following legal procedures under the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 (Section 20A), the statue has been formally returned to its original guthi custodians, marking a step in the recovery of cultural heritage and reinforcing community-based conservation practices.

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#13649166

1 May 2026

The Nepal Police Band performs music as officials carry the historic stone Buddha statue known as Kwapa Dyah from Hanuman Dhoka Museum in Kathmandu, Nepal, back to its original shrine at Nhuchhe Baha (Bajradhatu Vihar) in Jor Ganesh, Ombahal, on May 1, 2026, during the 2570th Buddha Jayanti. The Vajradhatu Buddha statue, which is archaeologically and religiously significant, was previously stolen and later found at the Tibet House Collection in New York, United States. It was repatriated to Nepal approximately four years ago and kept at the Chhauni National Museum through efforts by the Department of Archaeology, heritage activists, and related institutions. Following legal procedures under the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 (Section 20A), the statue has been formally returned to its original guthi custodians, marking a step in the recovery of cultural heritage and reinforcing community-based conservation practices.

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#13649167

1 May 2026

The Nepal Army Gurju Paltan performs traditional Dhime Baja music during a ceremony marking the return and installation of the historic stone Buddha statue known as Kwapa Dyah at its original shrine at Nhuchhe Baha (Bajradhatu Vihar) in Jor Ganesh, Ombahal, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 1, 2026, on the occasion of the 2570th Buddha Jayanti. The Vajradhatu Buddha statue, significant both archaeologically and religiously, was previously stolen and later found at the Tibet House Collection in New York, United States, before being repatriated to Nepal around four years ago. It was preserved at the Chhauni National Museum through coordinated efforts of the Department of Archaeology, heritage activists, and related institutions. Following legal procedures under the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 (Section 20A), the statue has now been formally returned to its original guthi custodians, marking a significant moment in the recovery of cultural heritage and community-based conservation practices.

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#13649168

1 May 2026

Devotees and officials carry the historic stone Buddha statue known as Kwapa Dyah from Hanuman Dhoka Museum in Kathmandu, Nepal, back to its original shrine at Nhuchhe Baha (Bajradhatu Vihar) in Jor Ganesh, Ombahal, on May 1, 2026, during the 2570th Buddha Jayanti. The Vajradhatu Buddha sculpture, significant both archaeologically and religiously, was previously stolen and later found at the Tibet House Collection in New York, United States. It was repatriated to Nepal approximately four years ago and kept at the Chhauni National Museum through efforts by the Department of Archaeology, heritage activists, and related institutions. Following legal procedures under the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 (Section 20A), the statue is now formally returned to its original guthi custodians, marking a step in the recovery of cultural heritage and reinforcing community-based conservation practices.

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