Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi, is popular in name. He is most well-known within Roman Catholicism, but his fame and reverence extend far and wide. Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals and the environment. He was also a lover of peace and worked hard to achieve it. The veneration of this man who lived a very simple life is more relevant today than ever, and his story is worth retelling.

Early Life of Francis of Assisi

In the Duchy of Spoleto to the east of Rome in late 1181, Francis was born to an Italian father, Pietro, and a French mother. His father was a successful and wealthy silk merchant, while little is known of his mother save for the fact that she was a noblewoman.