Saint Francis of Assisi.

Assisi is a small town in the Italian region of Umbria and the province of Perugia.  It is an ancient town, built high up on a hill and surrounded by an old wall. 
Below is the coat of arms belonging to Assisi.

The patron saint of Italy, Saint Francis (San Francesco), was born here in 1182.  His mother was called Pica and there is a possibility that she was French.  Francesco's father was called Pietro (Peter).  The family's surname was Bernardone.

The family was very wealthy.  Pietro was a cloth merchant, selling fine fabrics to the rich.  This meant that the family was always dressed in the finest clothes.  Pietro probably travelled to France or had dealings with the French in order to buy his special fabrics.

  So, Francesco grew up in a wealthy household where he heard the French language.  His real name was Giovanni, (meaning John), but he loved the French language so much that he was nicknamed Francesco (meaning - Frenchy.)  As a young child, he would sing French songs.  This impressed the people of Assisi.

Francesco had lots of friends.  Most of them were the sons of the other rich families of Assisi.  They loved to go to parties - staying out all night and sleeping during the day.  They had grown up as spoilt youths who didn't need to work because their parents were rich.  They spent lots of money on having a good time.

In 1202, the town of Perugia declared war on Assisi.  Francis went to fight as a soldier to defend his town but he was captured and was held as a prisoner for one year.   His family paid for him to be released and he returned home at the age of twenty-two.

A little later, Francesco fell ill.  As he recovered, he became aware of the beautiful countryside and nature around him.  The sound of birds singing and the beauty of nature made him feel better.

Once again, he was expected to fight as a soldier in another battle.  His father bought him a magnificent horse and expensive armour.  In those times, parents were very proud of their sons who went to battle.  It was a sign of bravery and added prestige and honour to the family name.

So, Francesco left Assisi looking like a hero and accompanied by the cheers of the townsfolk.

However, something strange and mysterious happened because, the next day, he returned to Assisi.  He appeared to be ill and feverish.  Francesco explained nothing and just went straight to bed to recover. 
His parents were embarrassed because their son seemed weak and not at all like the heroic figure of the day before.

Nobody knows what happened to Francesco.  Even nowadays, it remains a mystery.  Had he been attacked by robbers?  Had he fallen ill?  Had God spoken to him? 
Whatever it was, Francesco was a changed person.  Never again would he wish to fight as a soldier, go to parties with his friends or spend lots of money.

As he recovered, Francesco grew more and more interested in animals and nature.  He was becoming less and less interested in earning lots of money in his father's business.  Instead, he decided to give away all his belongings to the poor and to live outside the walls of Assisi in the countryside with no money and no possessions. 
He had always dressed in the finest clothes - but from now on he decided to wear only a simple tunic, tied with a cord at the waist.  Francesco's father was furious!

Living outside the town, Francesco's time was spent helping lepers and rebuilding old, ruined chapels in the countryside.  In those days, the most feared disease was leprosy.  Anyone who caught the illness was forced to live outside the town in caves or huts.  The lepers were forced to wear a bell around their necks so that people could hear them from a distance and run away before they became too close. 
Everyone was horrified to learn that Francesco was now living with these ill people in order to help them. 

Francesco believed that God spoke to him and told him to help lepers and to rebuild ruined chapels in the countryside outside Assisi. 
One day, when he was passing in front of the ruined chapel of San Damiano, the cross hanging above the old altar spoke to him and told him to rebuild the chapel.  This cross is very famous.  It is called Il Crocifisso di San Damiano and it can be seen today in the Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi. 
The crucifix is in the style that was typical of that time - a colourful image painted onto a wooden cross shape. 
(Photo of the famous cross, below.)

Francis obeyed the words spoken by the cross and rebuilt a total of three chapels, stone by stone.  Two of these chapels -San Damiano and Santa Maria degli Angeli - still exist today!  
Below is a photo of the chapel called Santa Maria degli Angeli.  It is also known as La Porziuncola, meaning - little portion. Can you see the arched entrance? Do you notice how the external wall has been colourfully painted?

And was Francesco suffering from loneliness and a hard life during this new existence?  Absolutely not!  He was having a great time!  Very soon Francesco was joined by a large group of his rich friends.  They too decided that they would give up their rich possessions, preferring to live with Francesco in his simple lifestyle.  All of their parents were furious!

Even one of the beautiful, noble girls of Assisi decided to run away from her family to join Francesco's group of friends.
Her father was furious and tried to bring her back but nothing worked.  Her name was Chiara (Clare) and she was seventeen years old at the time.  
In order to show her family that she did not want to return home, she asked Francesco to cut off her long blond hair.  This was the sign that she wanted to live like a nun. 
Clare's long, blond hair has been preserved and can be seen in a glass case in the Basilica di Santa Chiara, Assisi. 

And did Clare feel sad and lonely in her new existence?  Absolutely not!  She was having a great time!  Soon, she was joined by lots of other girls and ladies who wanted to live in simplicity with her. 
Even Clare's sister and mother moved in! 
Nowadays, she is known as Saint Clare.  Below is her portrait.

The female companions all lived in the rebuilt chapel called San Damiano.  These ladies became known as The Poor Clares.  In Italian they are called Le Clarisse.  Their Order still exists today. 

Francesco with his male companions lived in the other rebuilt chapel called Santa Maria degli Angeli.  Francesco referred to it as 'his little portion of property':- La Porziuncola.  He loved this place.

There are many famous stories about Francesco.  It is said that he loved animals and he knew how to speak to them.  For that reason, he is the patron saint of animals. 
On one occasion, when he was trying to speak to a group of people outside in the countryside, the birds perching in the surrounding trees were making too much noise.  Nobody could hear a word.  Annoyed, Francesco scolded the naughty birds - telling them to keep quiet.  Immediately, there was silence!

Another famous story is about Saint Francis and a wolf. 
To read it, click HERE.

Francesco loved to sing and to write poetry.  It is believed that he wrote the earliest known piece of Italian literature in 1226 - a poem called Cantico di Frate Sole (also called Cantico delle Creature.)  In this poem, he refers to everything in nature as either a brother or a sister, for example, Brother Sun and Sister Moon. 
Before this date, literature was produced in Latin or in Greek.

Saint Francis was the person who invented the tradition of the Christmas crib (il presepe) in 1223. 
To find out more click HERE.

Everybody was fascinated by Francesco.  People travelled from all over Europe to visit him and to hear what he had to say.  One of those people was a Portuguese man called Antonio.  He was so impressed by Francesco's words that he stayed in Italy as one of his supporters.  Antonio is now called Saint Anthony of Padua (Sant' Antonio di Padova.)

Francesco believed that:-
1. Everyone should live in peace.
2. That all animals and human beings are equal.
3. That everything belonging to nature is important and that it should be cared for.
4.  That money is not important.  We should enjoy life without thinking all the time about how to become rich.  Just like animals, there should be no need to earn money or to own possessions.

Francesco called everything a 'brother' or a 'sister'.  For example: Frate Sole (Brother Sun), Sora Luna (Sister Moon), Frate Vento (Brother Wind), Sora Aria (Sister Air), etc....  In other words, if a noun was masculine it was a brother, if it was feminine it was a sister.

San Francesco died on 3 October 1226 at the age of forty-four, shortly after writing his famous poem Cantico delle Creature. 
In the final period of his life, he lost his sight and suffered from ill-health. 
He was canonized (made a saint) in 1228 by
Pope Gregorio IX.  Saint Francis is the patron saint of Italy and of animals and nature.  His special day of remembrance is every year on 4 October.

His tomb can be visited in the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, along with the tombs of his companions.  His best friend was called Bernardo. 

In the Basilica you can also see the very tunic that Francesco  wore every day. 


The tomb of Saint Clare can be visited in the Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi.  She died on 11 August 1253 and was canonized by Pope Alessandro IV in 1255.  She is the patron saint of the television because it is said that she had the great vision to follow Francis and to support his work and his ideas about how everyone should live in peace, simplicity and in harmony with nature.

Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi.

Notebook of Twenty Interesting Facts
About Saint Francis.

 1. Just like Dr. Dolittle, San Francesco spoke the language of animals.

2.  San Francesco lived happily with no money.  Although he came from a very rich family, he gave away everything he owned to the poor.  He wore a simple tunic and shaved the top of his head.

3. San Francesco was not frightened to work with lepers. He helped them. 

4.  He began the tradition of celebrating Christmas with a crib and a stable with animals.  Nowadays, it is normal to celebrate Christmas with the Nativity Scene because of Saint Francis.

5. San Francesco believed that EVERYTHING was equally important, so he called everything either a 'brother' or a 'sister.' For example, Sister Air, Brother Wind, Sister Earth, Brother Sea, Sister Moon, Brother Sun.

6. Saint Francis loved all creatures and took care not to step on insects when he was walking.

7.  Saint Francis loved the letter T. His special letter T is called the T Tau.

8.  He built ruined churches, stone by stone. Two of them still stand today: San Damiano and Santa Maria degli Angeli.

9.  Francesco was very popular and fascinating.  Thousands of people travelled from all over Europe to the area of Assisi just to hear his words. 

10. Francesco loved the French language even though he was Italian.  He was nicknamed 'Francesco' (Frenchy) for that reason.  His real name was Giovanni (John.)

11.  Francesco loved songs and poetry. He wrote his own songs and poems.  Many people believe that he composed the famous hymn called 'Make me an instrument of your peace.' 
He also wrote a very famous poem called Canticle of Brother Sun. This poem is the first piece of literature known to be written in Italian (rather than Latin or Greek.) 
Click HERE to read it.   

12. Francesco developed sores on his hands and feet. These mysterious sores are known as stigmata. They are in the form of the wounds received by Jesus when he was killed.

13.   Francesco's best friend was called Bernardo. 

14.   Francis travelled with his companions from Assisi to Rome, to speak to the Pope. 
Pope Innocent III was so impressed with Francis that he remained his friend for the rest of his life and thought that he was wonderful.

15.  Francis travelled to Egypt during the Crusades, to speak to Malik-al-Kamil, the Sultan of Egypt. The Sultan was so impressed with Francis' peaceful words that he became his friend and gave him gifts, even though Italy and other European countries were fighting against the Sultan's country. 
This proves how effective words can be and that Francis would have been an excellent politician.

16.  Although Francis had no possessions, a friend (Count Orlando of Chiusi) gave him a mountain as a gift!  That mountain is in Italy and is called Mount La Verna.

17.  Francis befriended a fierce wolf that was terrorizing the town of Gubbio.  After a discussion with the wolf, a deal was made that the wolf would become friendly if the people agreed to feed him. Everyone lived happily.  To read the story, click HERE.

18.  When Francis died, it is said that his beloved donkey cried with sadness.

19.   The beliefs of Saint Francis are still practised today.  Men who live according to the teaching and beliefs of Francis are called 'Franciscans.'

20.   Francis is buried in The Basilica of Saint Francis (La Basilica di San Francesco) in Assisi, with all his companions.