The Saint's chronology is not very clear, definite and certain yet. Here you can find some essential moments of his life, together with the dates traditionally accepted.
1182 Francis was born in Assisi, while the father, Francis
by Pietro di Bernardone was away from home. His mother's name is Lady
"Pica". The son is christened as Giovanni, but when the
father comes back home from his business travel, he calls him Francis.
1193 Clara from Assisi was born, daughter of Favarone or Favorino
degli Offreducci and Ortolana Fiumi. Her sister was born in 1197.
1202 Perugia is at war against Assisi. The two armies clash
in Collestrada. The army from Perugia wins the battle. The 20 years
old Francis is captured and brought to Perugia as a prisoner, where
he stays in prison for about one year.
1203 Towards the end of this year Francis is very sick and
he's released, maybe someone paid also a ransom for him.
1204 After a long sickness Francis is healed, but a deep anxiety
arouses him, especially when he thinks of his future.
1205 As a 24 years old man he begins a way to conversion:
he leaves his old friends, starts praying very deeply, he meets and
kisses a leper; seeing St. Damien's crucifix he hears it voice; he
goes on pilgrimage to Rome and, at last, he comes to the first experience
of poverty.
1206 Francis gives up his father's properties and start restoring
three small churches: St. Damien, St. Peter of the Thorn and the Porziuncola.
After a short stay in the monastery of St. Vercondo in Vallingegno,
he comes to Gubbio, where he starts working to help lepers.
1208 Francis is back in Assisi; during the spring he listens
to an Apostle Mass inside the Porziuncola, and the evangelical, apostolic
vocation grows up inside of him. In the same year the first mates
start gathering round him, building the first embryo of the first
Franciscan Order.
1209 He writes a first version of the Rule. He goes to Rome
with his friends to ask the Pope for his approval, receiving an "oral"
acceptance. On the way back to Assisi they stop in Orte for a while,
then they arrive to the Augustan hovel in Rivotorto.
1210 The brothers are forced to leave the Hovel in Rivotorto,
so the growing brotherhood decides to move to the Porziuncola.
1212 The 18 years old Chiara, runs away from home and comes
to the Porziuncola, where Francis consecrates her to God cutting her
hair and giving her the veil. After a while her sister Agnese joins
the group: this is the beginning of the second Franciscan Order, At
the end of the year Francis tries to go as a missionary to Syria,
but his ship is pushed back by strong winds to Dalmatia, and from
here he goes back to Ancona.
1213 On the 8th of May Francis is in St. Leo in the Montefeltro
region, where the Earl of Chiusi presents him with the Mount Verna.
In the same year he tries again to reach Morocco, but he must come
back to Italy owing to a bad disease.
1216 In July, in Perugia, after a request by St, Francis himself,
the new Pope Honorius III bestows the big Indulgence called "Forgiveness
of Assisi", effective for all the visitors to the Porziuncola
on the occasion of its dedication (August, 2nd ).
1217 The first general assembly takes place in the Porziuncola
on Whit Sunday: 12 Franciscan provinces, also called districts, are
created.
1219 On Whit Sunday general assembly in the Porziuncola; the
Order decides to send Franciscans to Germany, France, Hungary, Spain
and Morocco. Five Franciscans who reach Morocco will later be martyred
(they are known as the "First Franciscan Martyrs"). Francis
sails in Ancona to reach the crusaders' base camp in Dalmatia.
1220 The Pope Honorius III, promulgates the bull Cum secundum
consilium, establishing the year of novitiate for all the candidates
for the Order. This bull is now kept in the Basilica of St. Francis.
1221 Francis writes the so called "unstamped Rule",
which is presented to the general assembly on the Whit Sunday. In
the same year there is the official foundation of the Penitents' order,
later called Terziari Francescan; Pope Honorius III approves
the Memoriale propositi for them.
1223 Francis writes in Fontecolombo the so called "stamped"
Rule, approved by the Poe on the 29th of November with the bull Solet
annuere. The original document is kept by the Basilica of St.
Francis. On Christmas Day Francis presents the first crib (approved
by the Pope) in Greccio.
1224 On the 17th of September, on the Mount Verna, St. Francis
receives the stigmata.
1225 In St. Damien Francis composes the Song of Brother Sun,
also known as Song of Creatures (Cantico delle creature).
1226 On the 3rd of October the 44 years old Saint dies in
the Porziuncola. On the following day his corpse is brought to Assisi
and temporarily buried in St. George Church.
1228 The Cardinal Ugolino, now Gregorius IX, is in Assisi
on the 16th of July. On the following day (17th of July) he lays the
foundations of a new Basilica in his honour.
1230 25th of May: solemn translation of the body from St.
George church to his new Basilica, which the Pope Gregory IX declared
subject to the Roman Pope - chief and mother of the Order - on 22nd
of April with his bull Is qui ecclesiam suam.
1754 Benedict XIV, declares the Basilica in Assisi "Patriarchal
and Papal Chapel" with the Apostolic Constitution Fidelis Dominus
on 25th of March.
1818 After a long and hard night work to dig a tunnel in the
rock, under the pavement of the lower Basilica, on 12th of December
the Saint's body is finally found under the main Altar.
1939 The Pope Pius XII declares, on 18th June, St. Francis
and St. Clara from Assisi Patrons of Italy.
1969 The Pope Paul VI writes the Bull Motu Proprio Inclita
Toto on 8th of August, confirming the supreme dispositions by Benedict
XIV about the pontifical authority in the Basilica of St. Francis,
and decides that the Basilica in Assisi will have a Pontifical Legate,
a distinguished Cardinal, living in Rome.
1979 John Paul II, with the Bull Inter Sanctos of 29th November,
proclaims St. Francis Patron of the ecologists and ecology.
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