Ciao Brooklyn, St. Francis is here

In their first trip out of Italy in 700 years, the manuscripts of St. Francis of Assisi, a 12^th century friar and soldier born Francesco di Bernardone, will be on display in an exhibition open to the public at Brooklyn Borough Hall from December 17 through January 14.

The Exhibit, FRIAR FRANCIS: Traces, Words, Pictures, features 19 manuscripts written by the famous friar that value peace, brotherhood and concern for the common good. The works document a human and spiritual testimony highlighting the friar’s views on humility, simplicity and charity.

“[This is a] truly meaningful event,” said Natalia Quintavalle, the consul general of Italy in New York. “I’m really pleased to follow the traces of Friar Francis of Assisi and I would like to emphasize how important it is to bring Father Francesco of Assisi to New York.”

The buzz surrounding the exhibit has been mounting, particularly because Borough Hall is the only place in the United States where the papers will be able to be seen—given that the United Nations, the only other place in North America where the papers were displayed, is international terrain.

Brooklyn is home to some of the city’s largest and most historic Italian communities, with Italians making up 6.1 percent of the borough’s total population, according to census data.

“We are extremely excited and we believe that Friar Francis’ life of labor, compassion, and love for the human spirit is evident today,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams at a December 16 preview of the exhibit at Borough Hall, speaking of “the timeliness of bringing these documents and artifacts to Brooklyn and to America during a time when we are in the midst of so much turmoil.

“It is fitting that a man who gave his life to the bettering of mankind has an opportunity to be in a country that is in great need of revisiting what it means to be part of the human experience,” Adams went on.

The preview featured a short film about St. Francis and speeches from the consul general, the borough president, Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna, Steven Loftice from Recycled Brooklyn—a furniture design company that built cases and display tables for the manuscripts out of recycled materials, Italian dignitaries and representatives, and special guest actor John Turturro.

“The level of excitement is amazing,” added Adams. “I believe Saint Francis’ life impacts us all because of what he stood for. Those of us who fight for the rights of animals, we identify with him; those of us who fight for protecting our environment, we identify with him; those of us who fight to have the brotherhood that we deserve, we’re seeing our lives through his life and the writings in his manuscripts are something that we see is relevant for today.”