Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone was born into a wealthy family in 1181 and enjoyed the high life until he had a vision early in the 13th century. He then lived among the poor and began preaching. Soon afterwards he founded the Catholic Order of Minors, better known as the Franciscans. Along the walls of the Franciscan Monastery are a dozen frescos depicting scenes from the life of St. Francis of Assissi. This one shows him arriving on shore during one of his sea voyages to spread the Gospel. The museum also contains over 20,000 historical items including 1,200 manuscripts.
