An exhibition at the Palazzo Vecchio showcases the precious Robe of St. Francis

From Oct. 21 to Nov. 3, 2024, the Sala d’Arme of Florence ’s Palazzo Vecchio hosts the exhibition The Last Seal: the Habit of St. Francis and an immersive journey from Mount della Verna to Florence. Organized by the City of Florence and curated by MUS.E in collaboration with the Franciscan Committee for the Eighth Centenary of the Stigmata of St. Francis, the exhibition highlights the profound historical and spiritual link between the sanctuary of La Verna and the city of Florence through an itinerary that combines history, art and religion.

An immersive video, created by director Francesco Cacchiani, is projected inside the Sala d’Arme, tracing the salient moments in the history of the shrine and the relationship between Florence and La Verna, where St. Francis received the stigmata in September 1224. The centerpiece of the exhibition will be the presentation of St. Francis’ precious habit, which has returned to Florence after being kept here for about five hundred years. The Franciscan shrine located on Mount Verna, nestled in the Casentino forests, has strong ties to Florence. It was here that Francis, during a period of silent prayer, received the stigmata in 1224, that is, the marks of the crucifix on his hands, feet and side. In 1432, Pope Eugene IV entrusted the convent to the protection of the City of Florence, thus strengthening a bond that is still kept alive today. The habit of St. Francis, which returns to Florence for the occasion after 23 years (first brought to Florence in 1503 and kept first in the church of San Salvatore al Monte alle Croci and then in the church of Ognissanti, until its return to La Verna in 2001), is not a typical monastic habit, but a garment of coarse wool, similar to that worn by the poor and peasants, to whom Francis wanted to be close.

In addition to the main exhibition, lectures and panel discussions will be organized to explore historical, artistic and religious themes related to St. Francis, the city of Florence and the Verna Convent. The first meeting, scheduled last Wednesday, Oct. 23, was devoted to The Stigmata of St. Francis: the religious event and the iconography of the 13th century. Friar Dario Chiapetti and Friar Mario Panconi, both belonging to the Order of Friars Minor, spoke, with Friar Maurizio Pietro Faggioni of the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome moderating. Instead, on Friday, October 25, they discussed Franciscan architecture and art, with a special focus on the Verna Convent. The meeting, entitled The Verna Convent. Architecture and Franciscan Art, featured Stefano Bertocci of the University of Florence and Anna Guarducci of the University of Siena, moderated by Carlo Francini of the City of Florence. The third event, set for Tuesday, October 29 at 6 p.m., will be dedicated to The Mayors of Florence, the urgency of peace and true Europe. Giorgio La Pira and Piero Bargellini at La Verna. The relationship that these central figures in Florentine history had with the Casentino convent will be discussed. The panel discussion will be attended by Florence Mayor Sara Funaro, Patrizia Giunti of the Giorgio La Pira Foundation and Isabella Gagliardi of the Piero Bargellini Foundation, moderated by journalist Duccio Moschella of La Nazione. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, in the morning, there will be a closed-door meeting dedicated to the Via di Francesco in Tuscany, the route that connects Florence to Monte della Verna. Roberta Fabbrini, project coordinator, will present the Francesco Experience app, based on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’. The working table will be attended by the 26 mayors of the municipalities involved, along with Eugenio Giani, President of the Region of Tuscany, and Jacopo Vicini, Councillor for Tourism of Florence. Finally, also on Oct. 30, there will be a closing event entitled La Verna, Florence and the Medici, which will explore the historical link between La Verna, the city and the Medici family. Speakers will be Nicoletta Baldini, Roberto Boddi of the Museo della Verna and Claudia Tripodi of the Deputazione di storia patria, in dialogue with Valentina Zucchi of MUS.E.

Statements

“Florence, the Franciscan community and La Verna have always had an intense and indissoluble historical, ideal and spiritual bond that this exhibition wants to recreate and revive here at Palazzo Vecchio, thanks to an immersive itinerary and the display of the saint’s precious habit,” says Mayor Sara Funaro. “The message of St. Francis, of harmony, peace, and love for people and nature, can be found in the great initiatives that Florence launched in the world, think of the Conferences of Cities and Peace, which led to dialogue and the meeting of leaders and government men from many countries in conflict with each other. The exhibition and the various collateral events will deepen this special relationship between Florence and La Verna in the sign of St. Francis, a relationship that has spanned the centuries and is still today a source of inspiration and guidance for our city.”

“The experience of Verna, guarded by the city of Florence over the centuries, is a word of healing and hope for all people,” explains Friar Matteo Brena, secretary of the Franciscan Committee for the celebrations of the Eighth Centenary of the Stigmata. “Thanks to this interaction between the Franciscan committee and the city of Florence, today it is once again delivered to the world and will surely help to revive in this time marked by wars and uncertainty, the desire for life and instill the values of peace, encounter and respect for all creatures so dear to Francis of Assisi.”

“The connection of the city of Florence with the sanctuary of La Verna has very ancient roots,” explains Valentina Zucchi, MUS.E. “In 1432 Pope Eugene IV placed the place under the protection of the Commune of Florence, thus sanctioning the link with the sacred mountain; since then all forms of city government-from the republic to the grand duchy, up to today-have paid special attention to this place. Eight hundred years after the stigmata of St. Francis, bringing attention back to these aspects allows us to grasp important traits of the history and art of the convent, which can still inspire each of us toward a civic commitment woven of humanity.”

An exhibition at the Palazzo Vecchio showcases the precious Robe of St. Francis

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