Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information THE IMAGE OF ST FRANCIS An important new study of the way in which St Francis’ image was recorded in literature, documents, architecture and art. St Francis was a man whose personality was deliberately stamped on his Order and Rosalind Brooke explores how the stories told by Francis’ companions were at once brilliantly vivid portrayals of the man as well as guides to how the Franciscan way of life ought to be led. She also examines how after St Francis’ death a great monument was erected to him in the Basilica at Assisi and how this came to reflect in stone and stained glass and fresco the manner in which some popes and leading friars believed his memory should be fostered. Highly illustrated throughout, including colour and black and white plates, this book will be essential reading for medievalists and art historians as well as anyone interested in St Francis and the Franciscan movement. rosalind b. brooke is a Senior Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge. Throughout her academic career she has lectured and taught at various universities including University College London and Cambridge University. Her publications include The Coming of the Friars (1975) and Popular Religion in the Middle Ages (with C. N. L. Brooke, 1984). © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information Frontispiece: Cimabue, St Francis, Basilica of St Francis, Lower Church, detail of fresco of Madonna and child with St Francis – see p. 304 (C www.Assisi.de. Photo Stefan Diller). © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information THE IMAGE OF ST FRANCIS RESPONSES TO SAINTHOOD IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY ROSALIND B. BROOKE © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, S˜ao Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb22ru,UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521782913 C Rosalind B. Brooke 2006 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2006 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library isbn-13 978-0-521-78291-3 hardback isbn-10 0-521-78291-0 hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information CONTENTS List of plates page viii List of figures xii Preface xiii List of abbreviations xv 1 introduction 1 The soft wax 1 The image 3 Dawn? 6 2 the image in life 13 The image Francis sought to present 13 The impression Francis made on contemporaries 19 3 the image after death 31 The early official image in writing 31 Elias’ letter 33 The papal bull of canonisation 36 Thomas of Celano’s First Life of St Francis 39 4 the official image in stone: the basilica of st francis at assisi 51 The creation of the Basilica 51 The achievement of brother Elias 51 Progress of the building and its date 56 Furnishing the Basilica 62 The inspiration of the Basilica 64 Gregory IX 65 Innocent IV 66 v © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information contents Sources of inspiration 68 The functions of the double church 70 Conclusion – the image 73 5 the authority of st francis: expositions of the rule 77 The Exposition of the Four Masters 78 Hugh of Digne 81 The bull Ordinem vestrum 86 The sources and characteristics of Hugh’s Exposition of the Rule 91 The bull Exiit qui seminat 96 6 reminiscences: the convergence of unofficial and official images in writing 102 The writings of Leo, Rufino and Angelo 104 The image of St Francis as presented by Leo, Rufino and Angelo 117 The Anonymous of Perugia 127 Thomas of Celano’s Second Life of St Francis 138 The Legend of the Three Companions 147 The sources of the Legend of the Three Companions and its date 147 The image of St Francis presented by the Legend of the Three Companions 149 The Sacrum Commercium 157 7 visual images 160 The Pescia altar panel 168 The Pisa altar panel 172 The Assisi altar panel 173 The Bardi altar panel 176 Matthew Paris 192 Kalenderhane Camii 202 8 the official image in speech and writing 218 Sermons 218 St Bonaventure 231 The Legenda Maior of St Bonaventure 242 The Miracles of St Francis 269 9 the official visual image: the decoration of the basilica 280 Introduction 280 The decoration of the Lower Church 281 Cimabue: Virgin and child enthroned with angels and St Francis 302 The decoration of the Upper Church 304 The stained glass windows in the Upper Church 307 The decoration of apse and transepts 332 The north transept 332 vi © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information contents Cimabue 342 The four Evangelists 344 The decoration of the sanctuary walls 353 The decoration of the nave of the Upper Church 365 The St Francis Cycle 378 Dating the decoration of the nave 415 Nicholas IV 439 10 the rediscovery of st francis’ body 454 Excavations 454 Reconstruction of St Francis’ interment 464 11 angela of foligno’s image of st francis 472 Bibliography 489 Index 507 vii © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information PLATES colour plates The colour plate section is between pages 304 and 305. frontispiece Cimabue, St Francis, Basilica of St Francis, Lower Church, detail of fresco of Madonna and child with St Francis 1 Monstrance reliquary of St Francis, Paris, Louvre, reverse 2 Christ, Adam, St Francis and a dragon in the initial I of Genesis, Assisi, Biblioteca Conventuale-Comunale, MS 17 fo. 5v 3 Assisi altar panel, Basilica, Museo-Tesoro 4 Assisi altar panel, detail showing the Lower Church altar 5 The Basilica of St Francis, Assisi, view of the interior of the Upper Church from the apse 6 Deposition from the cross, by the Master of St Francis, from the double-sided altarpiece, S. Francesco in Prato, Perugia, now in the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, Perugia 7 Innocent III’s dream of St Francis supporting the Lateran Basilica, Cycle no. 6 8 Guccio di Mannaia, Chalice, given to the Basilica by Nicholas IV: Basilica, Museo-Tesoro black and white plates 1 Assisi, Cathedral of San Rufino, one of the lions outside the west door page 5 2 The Carceri above Assisi: the cell traditionally ascribed to brother Leo 6 3 The crucifix from San Damiano, now in Santa Chiara, Assisi 7 4 Assisi from the south-east 21 5 Assisi, the Piazza del Comune with the Temple of Minerva 23 6 The Basilica of St Francis at Assisi: the Lower and Upper Churches from the south-east 52 viii © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-78291-3 - The Image of St Francis: Responses to Sainthood in the Thirteenth Century Rosalind B. Brooke Frontmatter More information list of plates 7 The Basilica of St Francis: the Upper Church from the east 52 8 Bull of Pope Gregory IX dated 29 April 1228 granting an indulgence to those subscribing to the Basilica: Assisi, Archivio del Sacro Convento 54 9 A view of the Basilica from above 56 10 The apse of the Basilica, seen from the fifteenth-century cloister 58 11 Assisi, Cathedral of San Rufino, west front 75 12 The blessing of brother Leo by St Francis: Assisi, Basilica, Capella delle reliquie 110 13 Mont Saint-Michel, the cloister, early thirteenth century: Christ crucified and Christ enthroned 162 14 St Francis, Subiaco, fresco of 1228–9 163 15 The Pescia altar panel 170 16 The high altar in the Lower Church 175 17 The Bardi altar panel, Florence, Santa Croce 177 18 St Catherine icon, from the Monastery of St Catherine, Mount Sinai 178 19 Four scenes from the Bardi altar panel illustrating St Francis’ concern for lambs, the stigmata and St Francis doing public penance 180 20 Matthew Paris: St Francis preaching to the birds, Chronica Maiora, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 16, fo. 70v (formerly 66v) 195 21 The Call to the Birds in Alexander of Bremen’s Apocalypse Commentary, Cambridge University Library MS Mm.