What to do when a wolf has been terrorizing a town you're visiting? Befriend it. 😇 🐺

St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, where Francis tamed the creature to stop disrupting the villagers, in exchange to be provided with food.

Another story how this man is the patron saint of animals

Saint Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi is a well-known name in the Western world. He was the topic of numerous paintings between the 14th and 17th centuries, although his popularity has since dwindled. Most people only know Saint Francis’ name or regard him as a saint that liked animals. After looking at Saint Francis’ life in detail, it is clear he was much more than an animal enthusiast. Giovanni di Pietro…

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Not to be a lapsed catholic over here but I have SO MANY thoughts and emotions about jacob's base of operations being named after Saint Francis

Luc-Olivier Merson - The Wolf of Gubbio (1877)

El Lobo de Gubbio, (The Wolf of Gubbio, 1877.)

Luc Olivier Merson

trying really hard not to turn saint francis's taming of the wolf of gubbio into a durgetash themed thing. incidentally, also failing really hard

Omg, no pressure, but I have some suggestions for Eldritch Saints! (Not a commission, just some ideas.)

Saint Francis, flowers growing from his rags, taming the Wolf attacking the town of Gubbio.

Not a Saint, but I like Brother Juniper, a companion of Saint Francis. Called "the Jester of the Lord", I associate him with a rabbit, being willingly eaten by wolves.

As well, Julian of Norwich, the anchorite who wrote down her Revelations of Divine Love. In my mind, light and love is bursting through her, with the eye of God at her small window.

Not a commission or a command, just sharing some art ideas! I want to make art of this myself, so I figured I'd share some ideas.

These all sound so good! I would love to see art you make for them if you ever want to share :))

I especially love how from the brief Googling I did, everyone agrees Julian of Norwich should be drawn with a cat. I feel a special kinship with her, as a fellow cat lover ahahaha

The Conversion of the Gubbio’s wolf

#JoséCamarónBonanat 1789

Saint Francis and the wolf of Gubbio

Color illustration made from the vector drawing in black and white available at: https://www.logo-arte.com/san-francisco-y-el-lobo.htm

The Motives of the Wolf

by Ruben Dario:

The man with heart of lis, cherub’s, celestial tongue, the minimal and sweet Francis of Assisi, finds himself with a rude and grim animal, fearful beast, of blood and theft, furious jaws, evil eyes: the wolf of Gubbio, the terrible wolf, rabid, has devastated the land; has cruelly destroyed all the flocks; has devoured the lamb, has devoured the shepherds, deaths and damages he has caused are countless.

Strong hunters armed with irons, were destroyed. The hard fangs accounted for the toughest dogs as if they were goatlings and baa-lambs.

Francis went out: and searched for the wolf at his burrow. Near the cave, he found the enormous beast, who, upon seeing him, ferociously jumped at him. Francis, with his sweet voice, and raising his hand, told the furious wolf: – Peace, brother wolf! – The animal gazed at the man with the rough sackcloth; let down his surly air, closed the aggressive open jaws, and said: –Alright, brother Francis! – What is this! –exclaimed the saint—. Is it the law that you live by horror and death? The blood spilt by your diabolical snout, the grief and terror that you spread, the crying of peasants, the screams, the pain of so many creatures of Our Lord, should they not contain your diabolical bitterness? Do you come from hell? Have, perhaps, Luzbel or Belial, instilled you with their eternal resentment? And the great wolf, humbly: Winter is hard, and hunger is horrible! In the frozen forest I found nothing to eat; so, I searched for cattle, and sometimes ate cattle and shepherd. The blood? I saw more than one hunter on his horse, carrying a goshawk on his fist; or running behind the wild boar, the bear or the deer; and I saw more than one get stained in blood, hurt, torture, from the hoarse trunks to the deaf clamor, the animals of Our Lord. And it was not due to hunger that they were hunting.

Francis answers: There is bad yeast in man. When he is born, he comes with sin. It is sad. But the simple soul of the beast is pure. You will have, from this day onward, something to eat. You will leave in peace herds and people in this country. May God mellow your wild being! Alright, brother Francis.

Before the Lord, who binds all and unties all, in faith of promise, give me your paw.

The wolf gave his paw to the brother of Assisi, who in return gave his hand. They walked to the village. People saw, and what they saw, they almost could not believe. Behind the religious man went the fierce wolf, and, with a low head and still, it followed him, as a house dog, or a lamb.

Francis called the people to the square, and there he preached. And said: Here is an amiable hunt. Brother wolf comes with me; he swore to me not to be your foe, and not to repeat its bloody attack. You, in exchange, will feed this poor creature of God. Amen! Answered the people form the whole village. And then, as a sign of contentment, the good animal moved head and tail, and entered the convent with Francis of Assisi.

For some time, the wolf remained quiet in the holy asylum. His large ears listened to the psalms and his light eyes became moist. It learned a thousand talents and played a thousand games When he went to the kitchen with the laymen. And when Francis prayed, the wolf, the poor sandals, caressed. He went out to the street, he went to the hill, came down to the valley, came into the houses, and was given some food. They saw him as a gentle greyhound. One day, Francis went away. And the sweet wolf, the meek and good wolf, the honest wolf, disappeared, went back to the mountain, and his howling and fury began again. Again, there was fear, there was alarm, among neighbors and shepherds; filled the surroundings with fear, courage and arms were no good, for the fierce beast, never gave truce to his fury, as if he had the fires of Moloch and Satan.

When the divine saint came back to the village, all came to him with complaints and tears, and with a thousand wails they gave testimony, of what they suffered and lost by that infamous demon wolf.

Francis of Assisi went grave. He went to the mountain To look for the false butcher wolf. And found the vermin by his cave. In the name of the father of the holy universe, I conjure you – he said –, Oh wicked wolf!, to answer to me: why have you gone back to evil? Answer. I hear you. As in a deaf struggle the animal spoke, the foaming mouth and the fatal eye: – Brother Francis, do not come too near… I was quiet there in the convent; I visited the village, and if they gave me something, I was happy, and ate meekly. But I started to see that in all of the houses there was envy, anger and rage, and in every face burnt fathoms of hatred, lust, infamy and lies. Brothers made war to brothers, the weak lost, the evil won, female and male were like dogs and bitches, and then came the day when they all hit me with sticks. They saw me humble, I licked their hands and feet. I followed your sacred laws, all creatures were my siblings: brother men, brother oxen, sister stars and brother worms. And thus, they hit me and threw me out. And their laughter was like boiling water, and the beast revived within my gut, and I suddenly felt a bad wolf again; but always better than those bad people. And restarted to fight here, to defend myself and to feed myself. As the bear does, as the wild boar does, that in order to live they have to kill. Leave me in the mountain, leave me in the crag, let me be at my liberty, go back to your convent, brother Francis, go back to your way and sanctity.

The holy man from Assisi said nothing. Looked at the wolf with a profound gaze, and parted with tears and heartbroken, and spoke to the eternal God with his heart. The wind from the forest carried his prayer, which said: Our father who art in Heaven…

Nicaragua, December 1913

When Saint Francis of Assisi Tamed a Ferocious Animal: The Miraculous Story of the Wolf of Gubbio https://www.churchpop.com/when-saint-francis-of-assisi-tamed-a-ferocious-animal-the-miraculous-story-of-the-wolf-of-gubbio/

Raphael, The Angel of Healing, by Pamela Mauseth

St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, by Pamela Mauseth

Who painted 'Saint Clare Rescuing a Child Mauled by a Wolf'?

Giovanni di Paolo, an Italian painter from the 15th century, who painted 'Saint Clare Rescuing a Child Mauled by a Wolf'. It depicts a dramatic scene from the life of Saint Clare of Assisi, a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi and the founder of the Order of Poor Ladies, now known as the Poor Clares. According to legend, during the 13th century, a wolf terrorized the town of Gubbio, Italy, causing fear and panic among its inhabitants. The wolf's aggression escalated to the point where it attacked and mauled a child.

In di Paolo's painting, Saint Clare is shown rushing to the scene, her face filled with determination and compassion. She is dressed in a simple brown habit, symbolizing her devotion to a life of poverty and humility. With her hands raised in prayer, she implores divine intervention to save the child from the clutches of the ferocious wolf.

The composition contrasts elements of light and dark. The background is dominated by a dense forest, creating a sense of foreboding and danger. The wolf, depicted with fierce eyes and bared teeth, looms over the injured child, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The child's torn clothing and bloodied body serve as a reminder of the imminent danger and the need for immediate rescue.

Today, this painting can be found in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

i could tame the wolf of gubbio. i could do fucking handstans. eith th´´´wolf

Vom gezähmten Wolf und fehlenden Kindern

Nachdem der heilige Franziskus einen Wolf gezähmt hatte, wurde dieser von den Bewohnern Gubbios geliebt und gepflegt. https://www.die-tagespost.de/politik/vom-gezaehmten-wolf-und-fehlenden-kindern-art-238150

The pine marten tale among the legends of Saint Nicholas is adorable.

It’s similar to the pet lion in the life of Saint Gerasimos of the Jordan and the Wolf of Gubbio in the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.

To clarify, Saint Nicholas did exist. The helpful animal tale might be a legend though.