Saint Francis of Assisi

Known for speaking with the birds, for professing poverty, receiving the stigmata and for initiating the Franciscan order, Francis of Assisi is one of the most radical and inspiring figures in Christianity.

In this outstanding and celebrated biography, the distinguished medievalist Jacques Le Goff paints a fascinating picture of the life of Francis of Assisi. Locating Francis in the feudal world of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and exploring the social and political changes taking place at the time, Le Goff assess the dramatic influence of the saint on the medieval church and celebrates his role in the spiritual revival of the Catholic Church.

This Routledge Classics edition includes a new Foreword by Sean L. Field.

Jacques Le Goff (1924-2014) was one of the foremost historians and intellectuals of his generation. He was Director of Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. His books include The Medieval World (1997), History and Memory (1996), Medieval Civilization 400-1500 (1990), and The Medieval Imagination (1988).