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Secondary sourceArtifact1101

San Damiano

1101

A church near Assisi that Francis rebuilt after his conversion, said to be where he heard Christ speak and where he later composed the Canticle.

Francis rebuilt this church after a vision here, and it later became the convent of Clare.

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Aerial view of the San Damiano monastery complex near Assisi: stone buildings with terracotta tile roofs, a walled garden and cypress trees, surrounded by olive groves and autumn trees, with the hilltop town visible under a cloudy sky.
San Damiano, Assisi, built 1101.

About this source

What it is

San Damiano is a 12th-century church and monastery near Assisi, Italy, that became the first home of the Order of Saint Clare. According to Franciscan sources, in 1205 Francis entered the then-ruined church to pray and heard a voice from a crucifix tell him three times to repair the church.

Why it matters

This event marked a turning point for Francis, who went on to physically repair the building before realizing the message meant something greater: restoring the wider Church. San Damiano also became the home of Saint Clare of Assisi and her community from 1212 until her death, linking the site closely to both Francis and Clare's lives.

Look closer

  • Why might Francis have first understood the message literally, as about repairing one building?
  • What does the site's later role as home to Clare and her followers tell us about Francis's influence on others?
  • How do Franciscan sources shape the story of what happened here, and what might be left out?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Francis on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Manuscript page in Latin with black gothic script and red initial letter M and red-highlighted lines, with handwritten marginal notes on the right. The text includes 'Altissimu onnipotente bon signore' and 'Laudes creaturarum', consistent with the Canticle of the Sun.Book

Primary source

Canticle of the Sun

Francis of Assisi · 1226

Photograph of a small, aged parchment sheet sealed in a metal-framed case. It has faded brown ink text in Latin with red headings, a large hand-drawn red and brown Tau cross with a figure-like sketch, and a few lines of writing at the bottom.Document

Primary source

Chartula fratri Leonis

Francis of Assisi · 1224

Book

Secondary source

First Life of Saint Francis

Thomas of Celano · 1230

Gold-background panel painting in a gabled wooden frame. A standing robed friar with a halo holds a book and raises one hand, flanked by two angels above. Smaller framed scenes in the side panels show his life events in colorful architecture.Painting

Secondary source

Saint Francis of Assisi and Scenes of His Life

Bonaventura Berlinghieri · 1235

Aerial view of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi on a hilltop, with its pink-toned stone walls, a tall bell tower, and a large sloping retaining wall. A parking area and winding road are below, with green valley and hills in the distance under a cloudy sky.Artifact

Secondary source

Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi

begun 1228

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