Early Life
St. Francis of Assisi was born in Italy in 1181, to a very wealthy Italian family. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant who owned farmland around Assisi and his mother was a beautiful Frenchwoman. Growing up St Francis wanted nothing, he had everything he needed or could ever want. This did not help St Francis because growing up he indulged himself in fine foods and wine as well as women and had left school by 14. In Assisi he was known as a party boy who had no respect for anyone around him and did not look after the disadvantaged and homeless. While he was growing up he learned the skills of archery, wrestling and how to look after horses. His father wanted him to grow up and be part of the textile family business but St Francis did not want to do this instead he wanted to become knight and to do this he needed to join the towns army. In 1202 a war broke out between Assisi and Perugia and St Francis knew that he would fight in this war to get practice so he could become a knight.
Europe at the time of Francis