Opening the door to our balcony, we expected to find a beautiful view of the valley below. We had gone to bed with twinkling stars and clear skies. However, our visibility was reduced to yards. I went to the same location I took the picture of the Basilica last night and recreated the picture. What a difference a few hours make.
After breakfast we would head north to the Sanctuary of La Verna, a remote refuge tucked deep within the thick forest of a beautiful national park where Saint Francis often sought solitude, prayer, and silence. Our bus ride would be a little over an hour, but the views were incredible. The bus parked in a lot which was a short walk to La Verna, but it allowed us to take in the beauty of the forest.
We gathered in a quadrant in front of the sanctuary waiting for a friar that would give us a tour of the grounds and its history.
This location also offered an impressive view of the valley with a rustic cross framed by a beautiful morning sky.
While we were waiting, there were lots of pictures being taken by the group of the site and each other. Tom decided to join in by snapping a few shots of the group enjoying a beautiful day.
Touring Sanctuary of La Verna was a treat. The crowd was relatively small and there was space to spread out. One could hear the friar’s words clearly as he explained the history and told us stories of what we were seeing.
As we walked down a breezeway, there were multiple frescoes, each telling of an event in the life of Saint Francis. We stopped to admire each one of the panels and absorb its story. The frescoes, which were completed centuries ago, have been refreshed over the years.
The breezeway is known as “The Corridor of the Stigmata” and it was covered in the late 1500s to protect the works of the frescoes and the friars from harsh weather.
Every day at the 9th hour (3 pm) the friars process from the Basilica down the corridor to the Chapel of the Stigmata. The friars and tourist recite prayers in remembrance at the historical hour that Christ died. One passes through a narrow hallway with small chapels on each side as they head to the Chapel of the Stigmata.
In front of a simple altar with a beautiful blue terracotta depiction of Christ crucified and surrounded by angels, one will find on the floor a candle that marks the spot where Francis received the Stigmata. The reason the spot is known is that his close friend, Brother Leo, found him unconscious with the markings there. Brother Leo did not see the actual event but was only a few meters away. If one looks at the fresco of Francis’s encounter with the angel above, they will see Brother Leo depicted in the background.
One of Saint Francis’ followers was Saint Anthony of Padua. Although he was from Portugal, he began following the ways of Francis in Morrocco as an Augustinian monk. On his return to Portugal, his ship took shelter from a storm in Italy. Anthony came to La Verna seeking a place of quiet. He had his own grotto where he prayed and fasted. Today the grotto is a small chapel not far from where Francis received the Stigmata.
We departed though the back of the Sanctuary of La Verna which offered more amazing views of the National Forest. It is here where Janet explained to Tom that in this forest there was a trail, “Il Cammino di Sant' Antonio”, which retraces Saint Anthony’s walks to La Verna. Tom reflected on how nice it would have been if public transportation had been available back in the day of Saint Santiago, Saint Antonio, and all the other pilgrims that have retraced their steps.
We ended our visit with Mass before returning through the forest to our bus. We were running late as we headed out in search of a place to eat lunch. It was a little after 2 when the bus stopped in the town of Sansepolcro. Most of our group’s stomachs were growling as Fabricio led us from the bus to the town piazza. Stopping in front of the steps, Fabricio broke the news… “Most restaurants close on Sunday at 2, but you may find a few that will be open until 3, we will back here at 4. The group scattered like they were participating in the start of the Amazing Race in search of a place to eat. We found one about 5 blocks away and along with Bill and Kathleen, we were head of the pack.
Jim was at the front door of the church waiting for everybody to return. He looked like a dad waiting for his daughter to return from the prom. Everyone in the group made it back at the designated time with their bellies full. The people of Sansepolcro must have thought we were nuts when they saw 48 hungry Americans running through their streets on a quiet Sunday afternoon. But they took us in and were very kind. By all reports, everyone enjoyed their meal. We returned to the bus with a full tummy and a whole lot slower than when we got off 90 minutes ago.
After arriving in Assisi, we dropped our stuff and went out exploring again. We had a few free hours before dinner and there was still so much to see. First objective was to go back to the Basilica. The other day we could not get down into Saint Francis’s crypt. Today the Basilica was pretty much empty and there was no one in the crypt but and a monk who was lighting candles. The aura of the tomb brings on an internal silence that is hard to describe.
We left the church and just wandered the streets around the hotel. Nothing better than a little window shopping to stretch our legs and walk off our lunch. We did hit a few souvenir shops, but we escaped with nothing more than a couple postcards before heading back for dinner.
After evening prayers and dinner, a large group of us migrated to the balcony to watch the sunset and enjoy the leftover wine from dinner. Jim broke out a guitar and the singing started again. Our singers were grabbing their phones and pads for the lyrics.
A good time was being had by all, but at last the sun was disappearing quickly. We all took a moment to watch the orange glow disappear behind the mountains.
Under the glow of the hotel patio lights we all took it in the beauty before retiring. Another great day in Assisi.
Good Night
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