The Earth Saint: Francesco d’Assisi e la natura tra XIX e XXI secolo, ed. Michele Campopiano & Daniele Solvi (Viella 2026).
Francis and nature are almost inseparable today, within a cultural paradigm in which—partly due to the environmental crisis—the dominant image of the saint of Assisi is that of the patron of creation. It is no coincidence that his most famous work remains the Canticle of the Creatures, which has now become a manifesto for the “care of our common home,” as Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato si’ has clearly demonstrated.
This volume examines several pivotal moments spanning the late nineteenth century and the first decades of the twenty-first century, to identify the historical and historiographical contexts in which the connection between Francis and nature (and between the Canticle and nature) was most decisively affirmed. This serves as a way to explore the roots of Francis’s popularity—that is, his status as a global icon and powerful symbol capable of inspiring both believers and non-believers.
Order the book (in Italian) here.
