Francesco (Giovanni di Pietro) di Bernardone, also known as Francis, was born in Assisi, Italy near the end of 1181 or the beginning of 1182. He was born to a wealthy family. His father, Pietro, was a cloth maker and an active participant in the real estate market in Assisi. His mother, Pica, was a commoner. She was best described as humble, obedient, and introverted. There is little information regarding Francis’ life during his youth. He never explicitly mentioned these years in his writings. In his work, Testament, he simply stated that he “lived in sin.” Very few historians or biographers have devoted time to studying his early years. Most historians were more keen to discuss more noteworthy portions of his life: his conversion and his
