San Francesco

THE SAINT OF ASSISI

San Francesco

Saint Francis, the Saint of Assisi

THE ORIGINS OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Even today, the earthly story of the man known throughout the world as Saint Francis of Assisi remains surprising, a man who left an indelible mark on history that is still very much alive today. Born at the end of the 12th century in a city recently conquered by Frederick Barbarossa and soon to revolt against the imposed imperial power, he grew up in the comforts and luxury that a wealthy merchant's family could afford.

CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION

As a child and young man, Francesco received an education; he learned to do arithmetic, to write, and to read, probably even Latin. His condition was undoubtedly privileged compared to that of many other young people, and his future looked rosy, clear, and bright; he would certainly take over his father's business, which was already well established.

Church of San Rufino and View of Assisi from Rocca Maggiore at Sunset

DREAMS OF CHIVALRY AND THE HEROIC IDEAL

Francis nourished his imagination by reading the romances that, having arrived from France, told of King Arthur and the Round Table, of chaste ladies and intrepid knights. These tales allowed him to discover a world of noble sentiments, heroic deeds, selfless love, and spirit of adventure; all of this reverberated throughout his life and shaped his desire to become a knight and participate in the Crusades.

THE TURNING POINT IN FRANCIS'S LIFE

Another life path awaited Francis, no less adventurous, heroic, and noble. The experience of war and illness led him to a profound understanding of life and its unpredictability, to the point of choosing to break away completely from the family and social context in which he had lived, from his youthful dreams, from what seemed to many to be a perfect existence.

The renunciation of material goods and the choice of poverty

THE BIRTH OF A NEW WAY OF LIFE

Francis renounced all the comforts and delights he had, abandoned his elegant and precious robes, his tasty foods, the warmth of a home more welcoming than many, his friends. He found in faith, poverty, and deprivation an unexpected joy, complete and superior to that which material goods had given him until then.
His charisma immediately attracted other young people, and together they began a new form of community life that, in less than twenty years, would become an important religious order of men and women that, over the course of history, has produced five popes and still has tens of thousands of members today. The message and example of the Poverello of Assisi, in fact, have managed to cross the centuries maintaining their authenticity and sense of origins.

THE SPIRITUAL LEGACY OF SAINT FRANCIS

The life of Francis continues to amaze, intrigue, and inspire; the places where the Saint lived, where he made his most important choices, where he founded the Order deserve to be discovered and savored, allowing their beauty to capture and enrich our lives.

Saint Francis: readings and insights

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