As I peered into this overgrown patio, I spotted a worn statue of St. Francis of Assisi. When I got home, I did some research and discovered St. Francis of Assisi, renowned for drinking and partying in his youth, later fought in a battle between Assisi and Perugia. Francis was captured and imprisoned for ransom. He spent nearly a year in prison—awaiting his father's payment—and, according to legend, began receiving visions from God. This was the beginning of his transformation, and although most garden statues of St. Francis show him standing surrounded by animals, this image of his waiting quietly, seemingly incarcerated, adds another dimension to his story.
