Saint Francis of Assisi at The National Gallery

This is a free exhibition, but you do need to buy a timed ticket for general admission. This will save you a lot of time as the queue for unbooked tickets was long. I got straight in.

If I identify with one saint, it's this one. I was pleasantly surprised by the exhibition. There was so much to it. Saint Francis was born into a wealthy family in Umbria in Italy around 1181. He lived a privileged life, but when captured in 1202 he began to reassess his life. On a pilgrimage to Rome he joined the poor begging. He had a vision of Christ while in a chapel and then hid from his father in a cave. When he returned home his father beat him and locked him up in a storeroom. His mother freed him. Later he disowned his father and gave him back his clothes.

Antony Gormley's St Francis receiving the stigmata

St Francis receives the stigmata and the death of St Francis

St Francis went on to found the Franciscans for men and the Poor Clares for women. A third order was later formed for those who could not leave their affairs - The Third Order of Brothers and Sisters in Penance. To read more about St Francis life click here.

Modern take on St Francis preaching to the birds

In the exhibition are paintings depicting St Francis life, as well as samples of his writing, his robe and the horn with rods. The horn he used to gather people and the rods to silence them.