Representations of St Francis

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The spread of the cult of St. Francisco is so extensive that its plastic representations outnumber those of the most popular saints. The amount of techniques, sizes, materials, reliefs, sculptures and canvases are very numerous. The representations of the Saint range from medieval times to our time.

Early Representations of St Francis in Rome

       

Pope Nicholas IV introduced figures of SS Francis and Antony of Padua into the mosaics that he commissioned for two of the most important Roman basilicas, and these probably represented their first appearances in non-Franciscan churches:

✴ small figures of SS Francis and Antony appear alongside the Virgin and  SS Peter, Paul John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and Andrew in the mosaic (1291) of the apse of San Giovanni Laterano (illustrated above, to the left); and

✴ relatively larger figures of these saints appear with SS Peter, Paul, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the mosaic (1296) of the apse of Santa Maria Maggiore  (illustrated above, to the right).