sanctuary tour in italy

La Verna

La Verna is found on the Tuscan Appennino (1283 m). The Sanctuary was built in the 13^th century by St Francis of Assisi on a huge rock which is part of the Appennini mountains, surrounded by a large wide forest of beech and fir trees which can be seen from the whole Casentino area and from the high Val Tiberina.

The sanctuary of La Verna, is one of the most important Franciscan Sanctuaries. The internal construction is thick and rich of numerous treasures of spirituality, art, culture and history. It consists of a little church, Santa Maria degli Angeli, the first church built in the 13^th century, the Corridoio, the Chapel of the Stigmata, and the Santa Maria Assunta Basilica, which houses "L'Annunciazione" and "L'Incarnazione" masterpieces by Andrea della Robbia,15^th century.

While St Francis was there he received the "stigmata" .

Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey - 14^th century - one of the most impressive abbey in Italy, a red brick construction in a rugged landscape, just south of Siena.

Inside are the frescoes of Luca Signorelli and Sodoma, two masters of the Renaissance period.

Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey

Certosa del Galluzzo - Just a short distance from Florence. Its structure is like a feudal castle and the exterior is more like a fortress rather than a place of faith. It had its beginning in 1341 by the florentine Niccolò Acciaiuoli to host young Florentines wanting to study the liberal arts.

Napoleon soppressed it in 1810 and stripped all the works art (many texts were written far beyond 500), only a small part had been recuperated. Then in 1866 the last Certosini left the place as it became the property of the State. Since 1958, it is inhabited by a group of Cistercian Benedictine monks.

It contains several important artworks including five lunettes with "Scenes from the Passion", frescoed by Pontormo (1523-25).

Loreto Sanctuary is situated on Monte Podo and overlooks the Adriatic sea. It was built by Sangallo, Andrea Sansovino and other architects (1518-1522). It contains an enormous wealth of Art works.

For centuries popes and royalties, writers like Montaigne, philosophers like Descartes, also musicians like Mozart who played the organ in the church and besides millions of other pilgrims visited the sanctuary.

Loreto

Assisi

Assisi - The Lower Basilica was built in two years, between 1228 and 1230, when the earthly remains of Saint Francis were solemnly buried in the basilica. The lateral chapels were added towards the end of the 13^th century.