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According to legend, this huge, gnarled tree protected the saint during a storm.
The Valley of Rieti in Sabina is known as Valle Santa (Holy Valley) for the number of Franciscan monasteries that dot this forested region northeast of Rome. An extraordinary beech tree is said to have assumed its present shape when it sheltered the Saint during a storm. This legend explains why, unlike other beech trees, this particular monumental tree has assumed its present “weeping” shape.
