Saint Francis of Assisi

He has inspired countless films, paintings, poems and novels. But who was Francesco Bernadone, now known as Saint Francis of Assisi? Despite the wealth of writing on the life of this great saint, many still don't know the man. They know the legend: a Francis made palatable to modern sensibilities-the happy friar who carols to the birds and writes poems to the sun and moon. This is the image of the saint that is usually presented, even though it fails to encompass the true personality of Francis.