1.1 Critical Editions of the Writings The knowledge regarding the life and charism of Saint Francis of Assisi, until thirty years ago, was largely limited to some of the sources of his life, particularly The Little Flowers of Saint Francis and The Major Legend of Saint Francis, the latter by Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio. Few persons realized that Francis of Assisi is, in fact, the author of a group of Witings, among which three are autobiographical. Nowadays, we can be thankful to the Franciscan researchers who have unearthed the manuscripts containing the Writings of Saint Francis, and have handed them down to us in critical editions. These Writings provide us with the personality of Saint Francis as it is revealed in the ideals and values he cherished and transmitted to his followers.
Franciscan Studies 