Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most important figures in the Catholic Church and the patron saint of Italy. 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of his death, and his message remains more alive and relevant than ever.

It is no coincidence that Pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose Francis as his papal name: a unique case in the long succession of Popes of the Catholic Church, underlining the symbolic and spiritual strength of the Saint of Assisi.

For this significant anniversary, we have chosen to offer facsimile reproductions of manuscripts, maps, and images representing key moments in the life of Saint Francis, with the aim of conveying to the reader the historical authenticity and depth of his journey.

Francis was born in Assisi between 1181 and 1182. The son of Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy cloth merchant, he grew up in a wealthy family. As a young man, he was known for his brilliant personality, his social life, and his desire for success: he dreamed of chivalric glory and a prestigious destiny, before the turning point that would radically change his life.

The life of St. Francis (1881-1226) in thirteen salient moments

In this summary, we retrace the life of Saint Francis of Assisi in thirteen stages, with key dates and places. It's a chronology designed to quickly navigate the most well-known events, from his conversion to the birth of the Order, all the way to Greccio and La Verna, and to understand why the figure of the Saint remains central to our times.

Francis's story unfolds in the midst of the Italian medieval communal era, amidst civic conflicts, pilgrimages, and new forms of religious life. In this context, his choice of evangelical poverty and fraternity becomes a disruptive innovation.

1) Youth and War (1202)

Francis took part in the conflict between Assisi and Perugia. He was taken prisoner and remained in prison for about a year. Upon his return, he was changed: illness and imprisonment shattered his dreams of fame.

2) The internal crisis and the “call”

Between 1205 and 1206 he experienced a profound conversion: he began to dedicate himself to the poor and lepers, and developed the idea that true wealth lies in living the Gospel to the letter.

3) San Damiano: “Repair my house”

Praying before the crucifix in the little church of San Damiano, he heard the famous call: "Francis, go and repair my house." Initially, he interpreted the invitation concretely and began restoring small churches.

4) The break with the father (1206)

It is one of the most decisive moments: before the Bishop of Assisi, Francis publicly renounces his father's inheritance and possessions. From that moment on, he chooses a life of radical poverty.

5) The birth of the Franciscan movement (1208–1209)

Listening to the Gospel, he decided to live "without anything of his own," preaching penance and peace. He attracted his first companions, and the fraternity of the Friars Minor was born.

6) The approval of the Rule (around 1210)

Francis went to Rome and obtained initial approval from Pope Innocent III for the friars' way of life. This recognition transformed a spontaneous group into an order that would become extremely powerful.

7) Clare of Assisi and the Poor Clares (1212)

A young noblewoman, Chiara, chose the same evangelical path: the female branch, later called the Poor Clares, was born, marking the expansion of the Franciscan charism.

8) The peace mission and the meeting with the Sultan (1219)

During the Fifth Crusade, he reached the East and met Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil. It was a symbolic episode: Francis attempted a path of dialogue and unarmed witness.

9) The renunciation of the leadership of “His” order

After his journey to the East (1219–1220), Francis returned to Italy and found the Order had grown enormously, with organizational problems and tensions over discipline and lifestyle. In that context, at the Chapter at Porziuncola on September 29, 1220, he appointed his own vicar and effectively handed over operational governance of the Order to Brother Pietro Cattani. Sources also report a powerful phrase that captures the meaning of this gesture:

“From today I died for you… but here is Brother Peter… whom… we must obey.”

Pietro Cattani died on March 10, 1221 and was replaced as vicar by Brother Elias

10) Greccio and the first nativity scene (1223)

In Greccio, he created a representation of the Nativity with a manger and animals to show the poverty of Jesus' birth. It is a gesture that has influenced popular devotion to this day.

11) The stigmata (1224)

On Mount La Verna, during a period of intense prayer, she received the stigmata, the first documented case in Christian history. It is considered the spiritual seal of her conformity to Christ.

12) The “Canticle of the Creatures” (1224–1225)

He composed the famous Canticle of Brother Sun, one of the oldest texts in Italian literature: praise to God through creation, with a brotherly gaze toward all things.

13) Death (1226)

Now ill and nearly blind, he died in Assisi on the evening of October 3, 1226, at the Porziuncola. His figure immediately became a universal symbol of peace, essentiality, and love for the poor.

Each stage of this history is not just memory: it is also documentary evidence. For the 800th anniversary (1226–2026), we have selected facsimile reproductions of manuscripts, documents, and images related to the Franciscan tradition, to bring the reader closer to sources, iconographies, and testimonies that have spanned the centuries.

The message of Saint Francis today

Saint Francis is an unarmed revolutionary, armed only with Faith: a figure who continually oscillates between humanity and sanctity, and for this very reason he seems close to us. He is a man who chooses good and pursues it with determination, enduring suffering and hardship in a physical and spiritual pilgrimage to which he will dedicate his entire life.

He is also a man capable of a very rare gesture: taking a step back from the Order he founded, to remain faithful to himself and to the Word of God. In this radical, often uncomfortable, at times even "abrasive" coherence, we recognize one of the reasons for his strength: Francis does not build an image, but a life.

He left us a firsthand account of himself: the Testament of Saint Francis, a short yet dense text that is not a "classic" biography, but rather a spiritual memoir and a call to live the Rule authentically. Alongside this original core, increasingly extensive biographies have followed over time, enriched with news and accounts of miracles that developed through popular devotion. Often, in the desire to testify to Francis's "natural" holiness during his lifetime, some narratives have ended up overshadowing what makes his story truly powerful: his toil, his inner struggle, his daily discipline, his fierce determination to remain faithful to the Gospel.

Saint Francis of Assisi was proclaimed a saint on July 16, 1228, when he was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in Assisi, about two years after his death (1226). And it is significant that this rapid recognition does not “simplify” his figure: on the contrary, it makes it truer.

His doubts, his sometimes over-the-top behavior, even his anger: his humanity doesn't weaken Francis, it makes him more authentic. It is precisely this frailty that gives power to his work and strength to his message. His suffering becomes indelible ink: it writes words of Christianity and love that are still readable today. And it embodies a fundamental concept, the same one that links the Fibonacci Sequence to the Golden Section: humanity can strive for perfection and draw closer to Divinity through its behavior, spirit, and heart, but it remains incomplete.

It is in this tension—not denied, but lived—that Francis continues to speak to the present.

This summary of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi helps us understand his message in its entirety: not just events, but a spiritual and human journey that has left profound traces.

To truly understand the power of that story, it is worth also approaching the visual and documentary testimonies that have accompanied it over the centuries: manuscripts, papers, and images that preserve memory, devotion, and history.