Saint Francis

Together with the camaldolese, that franciscan is the most alive presence in the spiritual history of this earth: it is testimony of this the romitoris, the chapels and the convents that have been built in various epoches, both for a rooted religious sensibility, and for inspiration of the saint in Assisi. The memory of the Saint is made visible by the itinerary that from Assisi it conducts to the Verna passing through the Valley of the Tevere.

In proximity of Sansepolcro, on the tall hill that supports him to the dorsal appenninica, in a place surrounded from woods and where the Convent of Montecasale would have risen, then Francis left indelible trace of itself together with the memory of some of the stories narrated in the famous Fioretti.


In proximity of Pieve S. Stefano thera is another fortress of memory carducciana, Cerbaiolo, center of a hermitage founded by the Benedictines in 722 and then become Franciscan romitorio beginning from 1216: destroyed during the last world war, it has recently returned to the life thanks to the work of a religious that has made him/it becoming place of cohabitation and prayer.

The Verna is a mountain that from far "it has the aspect of a ship launched to the conquest of the sky". The place was given to Francis, in 1213, from the count Orlando Catani, gentleman of Chiusi.

September 14 th 1224 here the saint received the stimmates and in 1216 it erected you the church of the Angels. The most greater church was initiated from the Worm-holed ones in 1348, while the chapel of the Stimmates was built in 1263 and subsequently decorated from splendid terrecotte of the Of the Robbia.


Francis left the Verna to return to Assisi September 30 th 1224. Departed toward the plain one of the Tevere, in direction of Montauto taking the street of Montarcoppio, comes on the top of this knoll, he stayed for an instant of prayer and to turn for the last time to the mountain of the Verna that was well visible from that point, he Perhaps felt near the death, very impassioned it was the goodbye to the Sacred Mountain: "... Goodbye, God's mountain, holy mountain... " To memory of that moment people built a chapel, the romitorio of the Box, still today destination of devoted pilgrimages.


In proximity of Anghiari San Francis was found to stop for the first time by Montauto. The Count Alberto offered him in gift a new saio and express to Francis the wish to build a convent for his followers. A lot of time after the Saint, not to have forgotten any promise receipt, appeared together with Sant'Antonio to a descendant of the Count Alberto, pointing out him whether to build the church and the convent.

I testi sono stati tratti da: "Quattro itinerari in Valtiberina" - COMUNITÀ MONTANA VALTIBERINA TOSCANA
"Valtiberina" - AZIENDA DI PROMOZIONE TURISTICA DI AREZZO