A Fiery Heart

What do we really know about Saint Francis of Assisi? Much has been written about this medieval saint from Umbria in present-day central Italy. Yet the image we have of him does not always correspond to reality, as his fame is often linked to legends and texts that have no historical basis. Francis was an exceptional man, as his own contemporaries testified. Too often, though, this emphasis has obscured his humanity. Francis immersed himself with all his heart in daily life because he was certai