Francis of Assisi founds the Franciscan order

The son of a prosperous silk merchant of Assisi, Francis renounced his father and his inheritance before the bishop of Assisi, restored ruined chapels and in 1208 began to preach; within a year he had eleven followers. In 1209 he led them to Rome, where Innocent III admitted the group informally, approving by word of mouth a short rule made up of Gospel passages. Tradition dates this to 16 April 1210, so sources give either 1209 or 1210 as the founding year of the order. The brothers called themselves “lesser brothers” (fratres minores): they were to own nothing, to beg for their food and to preach. In 1212 Clare of Assisi joined Francis at the Porziuncola, a small chapel near Assisi, and so began the order of the Poor Clares; later Francis also formed a Third Order for lay people who stayed in the world.

The brotherhood grew quickly and spread beyond Italy — friars reached England in 1224. Its final rule, which relaxed the extreme poverty of the first, was confirmed by Pope Honorius III on 29 November 1223. Francis died at the Porziuncola on 3 October 1226; on 16 July 1228 Pope Gregory IX canonized him and the next day laid the foundation stone of the basilica of San Francesco in Assisi.