Rome and Assisi to Exhibit Saint’s Francis Restored Manuscripts
In commemoration of his 700th anniversary, St. Francis of Assisi’s heritage lives on through more than 90 writings and manuscripts relating to medicine, alchemy, philosophy, and mathematics. In Fall 2024, a selection of restored manuscripts is being shown for the first time at Palazzo Braschi in Rome, and then moves in 2025 to the Sacred Convent of St. Francis, Assisi.
Notably, the Canticle of the Creatures, also known as Canticle of Brother Sun, is exhibited. Alongside the Canticle, the show features 93 works of the brothers of St. Francis, including manuscripts and books from the historic collection of the municipal library of Assisi.
Inspired by the Canticle and its nine segments, St. Francis’s curation is split into five sections. Firstly, the distinct dimensions of Creation with the “Franciscan angle” alongside the Canticle and the saint’s approach towards nature are presented. Then, a philosophical-theological analysis of early members of the Franciscan Order is shown. Furthermore, the presentation shows motivation beneath some scholars belonging to the Order to seek a universal model of knowledge. Thereafter, the exhibition moves to how the sciences reflected on Creation over centuries and how some Franciscans agreed with this idea. Lastly, the final section summarizes how creatures, animals, plants, and humans combine with a vision of creation.
According to Steve Menzies, President of the St. Francis Day Foundation, the motivation beneath the exhibition stems from Pope Francis and his seminal work, Laudato Sì.
“We draw our motivation directly from His Holiness, Pope Francis, who engaged our Foundation to undertake the exhibit and, with it, the promotion of the values it presents and, in that same vein, the importance of the work of the Franciscans, their brilliant inquiries and results. We have provided and watched carefully over the restoration of 38 manuscripts performed with utmost care by the laboratory in Praglia under the expert care of Alberto Benato. We believe, as a Foundation, in the words and spirit of the Encyclical and will seek every means to realize its acceptance, starting with this initiative,” said Mr. Menzies.
The restoration of the manuscripts and their premiere exhibitions are produced by the St. Francis Day Foundation, Inc., in collaboration with the IAF, the Sacred Convent of Assisi, the Municipality of Assisi and the Department of Culture of the City of Rome.
–Diego Maldonado
