A VISIT TO LA VERNIA 
Ancona. Far to the east were the lofty mountains 
of San Marino, and the pale blue hills which surround 
the Lake of Thrasymene, and stretch from Perugia 
to Siena, and Radicofani. Looking westward, at our 
feet lay the rich Casentino vineyards and cornfields, 
with Poppi and Bibbiena each standing out on their 
separate hills. On our right we could see the gorge 
of the Zucca, where the Tiber rises to flow down by 
Borgo San Sepolcro into the Umbrian plains. To 
the left, on the other side of the Casentino, was the 
mountain of the Falterona, and the sources of the 
Arno. Immediately below, on the southern slope of 
the mountain stood of old the Castello di Chiusi, 
renowned not only as the home of Count Orlando, 
but as the citadel, where Lodovico Buonarroti 
was Podest 4 , when in March 1475 his son Michael 
Angelo was born. Here, at Caprese, “ in the close 
vicinity of the rock of La Vernia, where S. Francis 
received the sacred wounds of the Stigmata,” writes 
Giorgio Vasari, “ under the influence of some 
fortunate star, the child drew his first breath in our 
pure Aretine air.” Thus these lonely mountain 
heights won a new glory, and the name of Michael 
Angelo comes to blend with the memories of Dante 
and Francis, which throng upon us at La Vernia. 
A well-favoured spot this shady grove of Francis 
seemed to us as we stood there that bright autumn 
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