A Special Monastery in Tuscany

La Verna: a contemplative Tuscan sanctuary

The Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna is an enchanting place of refuge and tranquility, alive with the spirit of Saint Francis.

Located north of Arezzo in Eastern Tuscany in the area called Casentino, the monastery is built on top of a rocky spur surrounded by woods with ample hiking trails. Saint Francis walked here from his birth place of Assisi, spreading his message in villages and meditating in the caves of the forests.

I spent Christmas here, arriving on the 24th for two nights with a friend who came to visit me in Florence. When I thought about arranging for us a unique place to go—off the beaten path, that might also feel holy—La Verna came to mind. I’d heard about it decades ago but had never gone.

We spent the first evening in the monastery getting lost. Dark stone corridors lead to dark stone steps, leading to ancient wooden doors with sliding iron bars for latches. We passed into a courtyard, and then another, and then more shadowy corridors and more doors where we felt for latches until we finally found the quadrante–the large paved space at the edge of the cliff.

Here the most marvelous sunset had us racing to edge of the wall. Below in the valley floated a blanket of white clouds and the sky above us was a saturated pink and gold.

I did not have my phone or my DSLR with me. We kept thinking it would end quickly as sunsets often do, but it continued for a length of time that was surreal.

Christmas Eve dinner was in the monastery dining room and it was packed. I had no idea so many people went there for Christmas. Apparently their rooms were fully booked. We were the only foreigners. We found our names at a table for four and we were warmly greeted by our dining companions, a couple about our age from Rome.

I have had some very plain food in monasteries (remember in my book the nunnery in Vetralla with plain spaghetti for dinner and moldy bread for breakfast?) so I was thrilled with what was produced for Christmas Eve dinner at La Verna.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes—also known as La Vigilia—is the traditional fare in Italy on this night, and we started with seafood risotto, and then prawns grilled on skewers, and then peas with cuttlefish, and salad and then I lost count.

Of course wine was included and at the end of it all they came around with prosecco which was a nice touch.

La Verna is an important site of pilgrimage for anyone who is attached to Saint Francis and not only does it hold numerous relics of his, but it is also the place where he received the stigmata. A chapel is built over that spot and the altarpiece is a large glazed terracotta work by Andrea della Robbia.

The Della Robbia were a family of artists active in Florence at the time of Renaissance and known for glazed ceramics. The Castentino area contains fifty Della Robbia works and a third of them are at La Verna.  Luca della Robbia developed the technique of glazed ceramic reliefs and his nephew Andrea took over the workshop.

The Annunciation is considered masterpiece, for the sweetness of the expressions of the angel and Mary. Andrea della Robbia did this for the basilica at La Verna. And interestingly, he also did a glazed ceramic rondel of the stemma of Florence’s Wool Guild ( look up at the ceiling in the Basilica to find it). This guild—one of the most wealthy– paid for the completion of the Basilica after the initial gift of money from a count, ran out.

If you are interested in walking the Way of Saint Francis, this is where it officially starts. From here it heads to San Sepolcro, Gubbio, Assisi and ends in Rome.

Now, click on the video below to visit with me some of the very special places at La Verna.

Erratum in video: I say St Francis’s habit was from 1226 but it was in fact from 1224 as that was the year of his last visit to La Verna. He died in 1226 in Assisi.

Here is the contact info for booking your visit to La Verna.