St. Francis' pilgrimage

[Maryjane Dunn]

Hi Rosina--

Here's what I/Linda know about St. Francis and Stgo. (And by the way, if you
have any more details about the new biography would you please post them)

 From Vazquez y Parga, Lacarra, Uria Riu, *Las Peregrinaciones a Santiago de
Compostela* (1st published Madrid 1948, reissued and re-edited various times
since then. In spite of some short comings it's still the most comprehensive
single (actually 3 volumes) guide to the historical pilgrimage):

        "(my rough translation) It seems the arrival of St. Frances in Spain should
be placed between 1213 and the end of 1215, affirmed expressly by St.
Buenaventura and alluded to by Tomas de Celano, according to the story of
the _Fioretti_ (Chap. 4), that, as is known, translate the _Actus B.
Francisci et sociorum_, a work that Sabatier believes to have been written
prior to 1328. St. Francis 'al principio e cominiciamento dell'Ordine, per
sua divozione ando' a San Giacomo di Galizia', and being in prayer through
the night in the church of Stgo, God revealed to him the wondrous growth
that his Order would take. From this pilgrimage it is supposed the
Franciscan convent of Santiago about which exists the pious legend that
tells of an inscription that one can read in the western wall of the
convent: "...(lengthy legend about St. Francis staying with a poor man named
Cotolay, near the hermitage of San Payo)..." (The legend is about the
founding of the monastery through a miracle) It is said that the original
document signed by St. Francis (about the basket of fish/miracle/legend) was
given by the monks of San Martin to Felipe II and that it was in a reliquary
in the Escorial."

VyP cites a History of Logrono which says that St. Francis healed the son of
a "senor de Agoncillo" who in thanks founded the convent of San Francisco on
the banks of the Ebro...starting the convent immediately after the healing
so that when the saint returned from Compostela he would see the convent
very far along.

He also cites "local legend" that Francis passed through Jaca and San Juan
de la Pena, whose monks gave him land to start the convent there. It is true
that in 1246, 20 years after St. Francis' death alms were being collected to
conclude construction of the church and convent.

VyP quotes from Gonzaga: "De origine Seraphicae Religionis, Privincia
Cantabriae" that the first stop of Francis in Spain occurred in Rocaforte
(between Sanguesa and Liedena)He supposedly stopped in the/a chapel
dedicated to St. Bartholomew. And this became the first house and convent in
Spain raised by St. Francis himself. (There are several other micro
topographic references to St. Francis in this area: a well, an outcropping).
Other chronicles say that Fr. Bernardo de Quintaval, companion of Francis on
his pilgrimage, remained in Rocaforte upon St. Francis' orders, caring for a
poor infirm pilgrim they found on the way.

Legend (but little history) also says that Francis himself founded the
convent in Santander.

The most complete treatment (although not necessarily the most discerning)
is by:
Lopez, Atanasio:  "Viaje de San Francisco a Espana"  Archivo ibero-americano
1.1 (1914): 13-45, 1.2 (1914): 257-89), 1.3 (1914): 369-90, 1.4 (1914):
542-63.  The last two portions treat St. Francis in Portugal.

Maryjane

> A new biography of St. Francis of Assisi, by House, has just been
> published.
> The advance notices claimed that the author had access to
> historical sources
> heretofore unavailable and disclosed new information.