The Miracle of Saint Francis of Paola
Last quarter of the XVII century. Oil on canvas.On display elsewhere
Saint Francis of Paola – born in 1416 in Paola, a small town in Calabria – was the founder of the Order of the Minims (or minor friars). It was called as such because its members, who added humility to the three convent vows of chastity, obedience and poverty, considered themselves the ‘last servants of the House of the Lord’. Saint Francis of Paola is closely linked to France, where he went at the request of Louis XI, King of France, to assist him in dying peacefully. He lived there for 26 years and died on 2 April 1508. He was canonised by Pope Leo X in 1519 at the request of the Francis I, King of France.
This canvas originated from the Convent of the Victoria in Madrid, from which it entered the Museo de la Trinidad. It became part of a series with other paintings related to the life of Saint Francis of Paola, including two by the same artist (P000694).