Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi (1181/2–1226) was born Francesco Bernadone, the son of a rich merchant. While a young prisoner-of-war in Perugia he started to experience visions of Christ and in 1210 founded an order of friars known as the Franciscans, who took a vow of poverty. His rejection of the Church's worldliness and his love of nature earned him an enormous following throughout Europe. Music played a large part in his life and Canticle of Brother Sun is his most well-known composition.