I, BROTHER FRANCIS 800
Years of a Great Adventure

Guided tour duration: 45 minutes

Under the patronage of the National Committee for the Celebrations of the Eighth Centenary
Curated by the Friars Minor of the Porziuncola of Assisi
Scientific Committee: Stefano Brufani, President of the International Society of Franciscan Studies, Professor of Franciscan Studies at the University of Perugia, member of the National Committee for the 800th Anniversary; Brother Luca Di Pasquale; Brother Giuseppe Gioia; Brother Gianpaolo Masotti; Grado Giovanni Merlo, Honorary President of the International Society of Franciscan Studies, Professor Emeritus of the History of Christianity at the University of Milan, member of the National Committee for the 800th Anniversary; Sister Cristiana Mondonico, President of the Federation of Poor Clares of St. Clare and St. Agnes; Brother Francesco Piloni, Provincial Minister, member of the National Committee for the 800th Anniversary; Brother Alfio Vespoli

The aim of the exhibition is to re-cognize Francis of Assisi — the poor man who lived fully in his humanity by following the Gospel. The intention is to enter into Francis’s experience, his restless humanity, and the drama of his life that led to joy and reconciliation.

The purpose of the exhibition is to promote an authentic encounter with Brother Francis by placing at the center of the narrative path his Testament, which highlights his anthropological turning point and the unity of the person — spirit, soul, and body: Francis’s relationship with God, with himself, with other men, and with Creation.
Francis addresses both the friars who knew him and those who would come after; the Testament is thus a document that remains, to this day, fundamental for the Order alongside the Rule, and a foundational point of work.

The friars who curated the exhibition have highlighted the connections between the Testament and the present, and it is precisely this relevance that makes the life of Saint Francis interesting today — an aspect that will be emphasized by the guides along the exhibition path.

The exhibition design will help visitors identify with Francis, beginning with a structure made of cloths that recall the Franciscan tunic, so that it is he himself who guides visitors through his Testament. Alongside the text will be a selection of images of works by Brother Sidival Fila, a Franciscan friar and artist, whose artistic research is based on the reuse of discarded materials, especially fabrics such as linen, cotton, silk, hemp, brocade, and other previously used materials.

Also on display will be Cimabue’s St. Francis (1290), a tempera on panel owned by the Porziuncola Museum of Assisi. This original piece is of inestimable value not only artistically, but also religiously, as it is a truthful and precious portrait of Saint Francis.

Before exiting the exhibition, a small yet significant section will be dedicated to Saint Clare, who preserved Francis’s Testament and bore witness to it by living it out.

With the support of Regione Emilia-Romagna, Intesa Sanpaolo and Angelini Industries