Bust of Saint Francis of Assisi (San Francesco)

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This is a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi (San Francesco), born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally known as Francesco (1181/1182 – 3 October 1226), who was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the most highly respected figures in history. Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis on 16 July 1228. Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, he was designated Patron saint of Italy. He later became associated with patronage of animals and the natural environment, and it became customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of 4 October. He is often remembered as the patron saint of animals. In 1219, he traveled to Egypt in an attempt to convert the Sultan, aiming to put an end to the conflict of the Crusades. By this point, the Franciscan Order had grown so large that its primitive organizational structure was no longer sufficient. He returned to Italy to organize the Order. Once his community was authorized by the Pope, he withdrew increasingly from external affairs. Francis is also known for his love of the Eucharist. In 1223, Francis arranged for the first Christmas live nativity scene. According to Christian tradition, in 1224 he received the stigmata during an apparition of Seraphic angels in a deep religious ecstasy, making him the first recorded person in Christian history to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion. He died during the evening hours of 3 October 1226, while listening to a reading of Psalm 142 he had requested.