[3] The name of the town is taken from that of the Franciscan hermitage of La Verna (Latin: Alvernia) in Tuscany, Italy.

A monastery of the order of the Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi was built on high ground between 1625 and 1656.

[citation needed] After the Third Partition of Poland, the town became a part of the Austrian Empire, and since 1867 of Austria-Hungary.

The A4 motorway, which is a part of the European route E40, passes through the village of Rudno, located about 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) north of the town.

The Trzebinia–Wadowice railway, opened in 1899, passes through the town, however in October 2002 passenger service ceased.