Francis receives the stigmata at La Verna

1224

Praying on the rocky mountain of La Verna in Tuscany, Francis of Assisi reportedly saw a six-winged seraph bearing the image of Christ crucified. When the vision faded, wounds matching those of the crucifixion appeared on his hands, feet, and side. He would die of their effects. The stigmata made Francis the first recorded case in church history and became a defining image of medieval devotion.