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A stage on the Via Vallombrosa branch.
From the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rock - the only Renaissance building in Casentino to boast the title of national monument - the route continues through the verdant landscapes of Casentino, among ploughed fields and tree-covered hills.
Your next encounter is the castle of Sarna, another beautiful example of a fortified village in the lands of Francis. Here, time seems to have stood still. It is a place of unchanging identity and authenticity, marking the gateway to the Casentino Forest National Park. You then continue towards the small hamlet of Croce di Sarna, where there is a wooden cross at the point where the path turns towards the Franciscan sanctuary of La Verna.
The park's majestic beech and fir forests add a mystical mood to the walk, in preparation for your arrival at the sacred mountain of La Verna, where the sanctuary stands. The mountain was donated to St Francis in the early 13th century by Count Orlando Cattani, a nobleman from Chiusi. Prodigious events took place here, including the stigmata received by St Francis in 1224. This is a place where man meets God through nature. The sanctuary is pervaded by an atmosphere of peace and unique spirituality.
