Interesting things you may have never known about Portugal
Approximate study time: 10 Minutes
Saint Francis may be Assisi's most internationally famous son, the charismatic preacher who has been the subject of numerous bio-pics. But his female counterpart, Saint Clare, evokes almost as much devotion among Italians. Her life story reads like a medieval inversion of The Sound of Music: a beautiful young woman born into a wealthy family who was betrothed at an early age to a dashing local noble and seemed destined for a conventional life of luxury and pleasure. But her future was transformed in 1210 when she saw the handsome young Francis, espousing the sacred virtues of poverty, in the streets of Assisi. Clare immediately cut off her long golden hair, took a vow of celibacy, gave away all her fine clothes, and began to dress in a simple cassock. She soon founded her own religious order for women, the Poor Sisters of Saint Clare, which demonstrated a devotion to good works that matches the all-male Franciscan order of monks. In fact, she is often known to Catholics as alter Franciscus (another Francis).
Approximate study time: 12 Minutes
This celebration, with its romantic lantern lighting, acts as a holiday for young lovers.
Approximate study time: 4 Minutes
The only man-made object visible to...
Saint Francis may be Assisi's most ...
The 2005 Steven Soderburgh movie Oc...
Dating back to nearly 300 BC, the f...
This celebration, with its romantic...