Sanctuary La Verna and Camaldoli
Those who are interested in visiting places related to spirituality, I can visit the places of faith of casentino (just over 1 hour by car), in particular the two most famous monastic centers, the Monastery of Camaldoli with its very special Hermitage and the Sanctuary Franciscan de La Verna.
The itinerary to visit the places of faith in the Casentino goes beyond the purely spiritual aspect - because even those who do not believe will not be able to remain indifferent to the aura of mysticism that emanates from these places - and embraces history, culture, the naturalistic aspects of one of the most beautiful and fortunately still uncontaminated areas of Italy.
Visiting the places of faith of casentino means delve into the Casentino Forests National Park, Monte Falterona and Campigna, in the middle of woods that in winter cover themselves with snow, that in autumn take on the intense color of red and copper and that in summer are a source of refreshment on the hottest days.
The two religious sites are no more than thirty kilometers apart, so you can think of visiting them both during the same day, dedicating a half-day to each of them.
The sanctuary of La Verna is located on the Tuscan Apennines covered by a monumental forest of beech and fir trees, it is visible from all over the Casentino and from the upper Val Tiberina and has an unmistakable shape with its peak (1283 m) cut sheer by three set off. Above the rock and surrounded by the forest is the large complex of the Sanctuary which inside its massive and articulated architecture houses numerous treasures of spirituality, art, culture and history.
In the summer of 1224, St. Francis retired to Mount La Verna for his usual periods of silence and prayer: the event of the stigmata and the example of life are the most precious asset that Francis gives to the friars of La Verna. The demanding legacy of St. Francis as well as personally involving each friar also becomes the main message that the community wishes to convey to all those who visit La Verna.
The Camaldoli Monastery is a monastic complex located in the municipality of Poppi, in the heart of the Parco delle Foreste Casentinesi. The architectural complex consists of the ancient Hospice or Guest House, the church and the monastery, built starting in 1046, when the monks built a small hospital near the temple. Instead, the works for the construction of the sober monastery building that we see today began in the sixteenth century and ended in 1611.
Among the works of art of the monastery stand out seven panels made by Giorgio Vasari for the previous sixteenth-century building. The main altarpiece depicts the Deposition from the Cross and is located on the altar. Under the balcony grates from which the monastic choir overlooks there are two more of his small plates, depicting San Donato and San Ilariano.
The Hermitage is located three kilometers from the Monastery, isolated in the center of the forest, at an altitude of 1100 meters: it was founded by San Romualdo in the 11th century and is the home of the Benedictine Congregation of the Camaldolese.
Here you can visit the guesthouse, which still welcomes guests and pilgrims today, the church, the ancient refectory and the cell of San Romualdo, with the typical spiral structure of the hermits' cells which includes the bedroom, the study and the chapel.
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