Chiusi della verna

Chiusi della Verna is located at the base of the mountain where St. Francis received his stigmata in 1224, a moment celebrated in the XI Canto of Paradise by the Supreme Poet:

on the crude stone between Tevero and Arno

he took from Christ the last seal,

which his body bore for two years.

The ‘crude stone’ rises up and is visible from the whole valley. The attraction of the place with its limestone rocks and age-old trees, is made even more intense by the story of St. Francis. The natural elements, like mankind of all faiths, respect this place: when the whole of the Apennines are overshadowed by the darkness of an oncoming storm, the ‘crude stone’ rises shining into the sky.

It was in 1213 when Conte Orlando de’ Cattani donated La Verna to Francis of Assisi. The saint descended into the crevices of the rocks, using a cave as his home, and choosing a hard rock as a bed. For him this mountain was to be the place of true sacrifice. Two years before his death, Francis, whose body was already fragile and infirm, made his frail way one more time towards the place that, in his mind, was most strongly linked to the Crucifixion. This is a place where the spirit of St. Francis is still alive.

The district of Chiusi della Verna is an area that should be explored bit by bit. If the ‘Santuario Francescano’, where St. Francis of Assissi received his stigmata, is a place of strong mysticism where you can still live and breathe the spirit of the saint, then the rest of the district is no less impelling. To be discovered is Vallesanta, a valley, which sits in the shadows of the ‘Sasso Spicco’ of La Verna, and is composed of many stone villages built into the mountainside, which tell tales and voices from another era, which are easy to fall in love with forever, which you lose yourself in only to then discover yourself.

HISTORIC CENTRE

Chiusi della verna

The centre of Chiusi is located under the castle and the ‘Santuario Francescano’ and owes its development to religious and mountain tourism. Chiusi is easily reached by taking the road from Bibbiena that passes through Banzena, Dama and the mountain pastures of Beccia. Other possible roads are those that come from Chitignano or from Badia Prataglia, passing through the splendid and magic Vallesanta.

castello michelangelo chiusi

The origin of the Castello di Chiusi probably dates back to the tenth century AD. The emperor Ottone I, in a document dated 7 December 967 recognised Goffredo di Ildebrando Cattani as the owner. The estate was very extensive and included the communities of Pieve Santo Stefano , Verghereto and Badia Tedalda. The castle owes it's fame to the Cattani family who dominated the feud of Chiusi for four centuries.

The most memorable episode for which the Cattani dynasty is remembered is the donation of Mount Verna to Francesco of Assisi by Count Orlando which took place during their historic meetings at San Leo on 8 May 1213 and, sucessively, on Mount Verna, where Francesco was received with devotion by his friend Orlando. The church of the Archangel St. Michael (1348 AD) and the Podesteria overlook the square opposite the castle from which the paved road which traverses the old town centre also departs.

In 1385, the year of transition to the Florentine Republic, Chiusi, no longer the centre of a large landed estate became the headquarters of a civil jurisdiction, part of the florentine state, where the podestà had his residence.

The first Podesteria in Chiusi was located westwards of the castle and in the year 1475 Michelangelo's father, Ludovico Buonarroti, was the resident podestà, the highest civil authority of that time. The original Podesteria later underwent changes as we can see today. The inscription on the architrave over the side entrance of the present day building dates it to 1702.

Recent research has shown that in four of Michaelangelo's works – the Creation of Adam, The Doni Tondo, the Crucifixion of St. Peter and the Conversion of Saint Paul - the landscape of Chiusi della Verna is depicted, reflecting the bond that the Buonarroti family and the great artist Michelangelo had with this place. In the "Creation of Adam" the similarity of the painting and the real landscape is so strong that it is assumed that the artist made a preparatory sketch directly on the spot.

JavaScript must be enabled in order for you to use Google Maps.
However, it seems JavaScript is either disabled or not supported by your browser.
To view Google Maps, enable JavaScript by changing your browser options, and then try again.

WHAT TO SEE

From Beccia you can go up to the Sanctuary through the ‘Porta degli Uccelli’, which has ‘Non est in toto sanctior orbe mons’ written on it, the world has no other mountain more holy. To discover it, all you have to do is take a few steps, a few glances and a handful of deep breaths.

Through the arch the Santa Maria degli Angeli church awaits the visitor, the first to be constructed on the ‘Monte della Verna’, here Count Orlando has his tomb. Exiting the small church you go up to the quadrant where there is a wonderful terrace overlooking Casentino and the basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, the main church.

The artistic patrimony of the Sanctuary is immense, but the works of art that have the most impact are many works by Della Robbia. Interesting also to the devoted, the ‘cappella delle Reliquie’ (chapel of reliquaries) which today houses the habit of the Saint and many other relics. Leaving from the door of the Basilica and going towards the ‘Sasso Spicco’ you will find the chapel of Santa Maria Maddalena. On the altar you can worship the stone, which Jesus sat on when he appeared to the Saint. The ‘Sasso Spicco’, a gigantic crevice in the rock where St. Francis went to pray, according to legend was split by the earthquake, which took place after the death of Christ.

The corridor of the stigmata is also a beautiful place: 78 metres long it was built in 1578, and according to the Franciscan legend, one morning the monks were unable to do their usual procession – which they still do today – due to a large amount of fallen snow, saw that it had already been done by the birds and all the animals of the forest. The corridor is painted with frescoes by Bacci Maria Bacci.Next to it is a shrine in memory of the beech tree, at the foot of which, ran the waters, which St. Francis used to wash with after he received his stigmata. At the end of the corridor you get to the chapel of the Stigmata painted with frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi and built in 1263. Not far away you will find another place of great interest for the faithful, the Oratory of ‘San Bonaventura da Bagnoregio’, who stayed at La Verna in 1259 where he created the celebrated ‘Itinerarium mentis in Deum’.

Also of considerable interest is the museum which has a collection of precious sacred vestments, pharmacy vases, and objects used daily in the actual Sanctuary. Also much valued is the library which holds 25,000 volumes, 127 incunabula, 492 C.16th books, 20 codices, 95 parchments and 56 scrolls. To explain the importance of this place in universal culture, all one must say is that Bonaventura da Bagnoregio and Ubertino da Casale studied here.

The sacred valley is a place that remains imprinted in your memory and enters your soul. It’s geological drama, and its rugged and unspoilt nature tell the story of the world. The sacred valley is dotted with small villages that look like they’ve been painted by a talented artist, as they look so perfect in their naturalistic surroundings.

From Corezzo, the capital of the ‘tortello alla lastra’, a street food delicacy, to Rimbochi, the town of bread, to Biforco, Serra, Giampereta and many other often-lost towns dotted around the area - here every journey becomes an adventure, where its ravines remain a geological drama where one leaves a little piece of one’s heart.

COREZZO

Corezzo is a small village situated in the Vallesanta area at about 760 metres above sea level. Perched on the ridge that descends from Poggio della Magiovanna, the advantageous position of the village allows the eye to wander around the surrounding area and the valley below, to the unmistakable silhouettes of Montefatucchio and Mount Verna. Vallesanta extends into the northern part of Mount Penna, towards Badia Prataglia and much of it is situated within the National Park of the Casentino Forests .

There are currently two differing theories regarding the origins of this place name. According to some the name Vallesanta is associated with St. Francis of Assisi. In 1224 when the saint received the stigmata on the sacred Mount Verna,, the valley before him suddenly became illuminated by an intense light and hence the name Vallesanta. Others claim instead that this place name has older origins being linked to ancient places of hermitage.

VEZZANO

A small medieval village which had strategic importance in the past for its defensive position as outpost to the castle of Chiusi as established by the emperor Henry III. The name Vezzano probably derives from the local word for the areas of stagnant water in the vicinity of the village, the so-called VIZZAI.

The mother church of Chiusi della Verna, dedicated to the Virgin Mary's Assumption into heaven, is to be found within the picturesque nucleus of typical stone-built houses. This small church was bestowed with the title of Pieve, given to parishes with baptismal fonts which had other filial churches.

In the second half of the twentieth century an antique portal, a single lancet window and a monumental baptistery were brought to light, which have permitted us to date the ‘Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta in cielo’ to approximately 11th-12th century.

Vezzano has known times of neglect over the years, as some pastoral visits of the 15th century have evidenced.

A plaque outside the church, reminds us of the oral tradition that, for centuries, has claimed that Michelangelo Buonarroti was baptized in this very Pieve.

SARNA

Sarna is a small village in the lower valley, not far from the town of Corsalone, situated at 613 m above sea level. It's origins have been lost in the mists of time. It was once called Sennina, a name that dates back to the Etruscan Age. It is located along what was an important communication route since the Roman times, leading to Romagna, which subsequently became the ‘Via Romea’, and the presence of an antique pilgrims hostel provides the evidence. Sarna, before the year 1000, was one of the four 'courts', along with Compito, Vezzano e Chitignano that made up the district of Chiusi (www.comune.chiusi-della-verna.ar.it). It's buildings date back to the thirteenth century and are arranged in an elliptical shape which recalls the classic form of Casentino's castles.

Today, after attentive restoration, it's still possible to enjoy the medieval fascination of this village. Visits to the access tower in the old walls, the fortifications, the pilgrim's hostel, the church and a walk through it's alleyways are not to be missed. They evoke a magical atmosphere and, in fact, a school for artists, ‘Il castello degli artisti’ has been founded here.

PLACE OF WORSHIP

The Sanctuary of La Verna is located in the Tuscan Apennines.

The mountain, covered by a monumental forest of beech and fir trees, is visible from all over Casentino and from high Val Tiberina and has an unmistakable shape with it's peak (m 1283) cut into three parts. Above the rockface and shrouded by the forest is the large sanctuary complex which houses within it's massive and articulated architecture numerous spiritual, artistic, cultural and historic treasures.

The spiritual centre where St. Francis of Assisi received the sacred stigmata in 1224 on the “raw rock” honoured by Dante Alighieri. It stands on the spur of the Apennines in the municipality of Chiusi della Verna, between Bibbiena and Caprese Michelangelo . The story begins in 1213 with the donation of Mount Verna to St. Francis by Count Orlando Cattani of Chiusi. The remarkable artistic and architectural works of the Sanctuary (XIII-XVI century) contribute to enrich the palpable Franciscan atmosphere.

Inside the basilica of Santa Maria Assunta or the Greater Church you can see some masterpieces of Andrea Della Robbia including the Nativity and the Annunciation, as well as the choir with its great organ with 5,000 pipes, 4 keyboards and 72 registers where each summer internationally renowned musicians perform.

From the square called the “Quadrante” you can reach the places that were most important in the life of St. Francis: the corridor of the Stigmata, which leads to the cave where the Saint's bed is found and the chapels, the Sasso Spicco, the small church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the fifteenth-century rooms of the museum with choral miniatures, items from the old pharmacy and the apothecary laboratory, sacred art objects and the huge "common fire".

For all Franciscans and supporters of St. Francis a pilgrimage to La Verna is a must.
For centures the Friars of the Verna have offered to such pilgrims, in addition to spiritual assistance, the opportunity to rest and stay in the guesthouse for a few days.

TOUR 360°