Bernard of Quintavalle

Bernard of Quintavalle or Bernardo di Quintavalle (* 1175 in Quintavalle, † 1242-1245 Siena ) was, together with Pietro Catanii the first companion of St. Francis of Assisi. He played a major role in the early spread of the Friars Minor and was like Pietro Catanii one of the close associates of the saint.

Origin

The exact date of birth of Bernard of Quintavalle is unknown. He must have been several years older than Francis, who was born in 1181 or 1182. The name Quintavalle comes possibly from the property where he grew up. Bernard of Quintavalle was a wealthy and respected citizen of Assisi, alone and a lawyer by profession, namely legal advisor to the City Government of Assisi. Bernhard (for example, by Thomas of Celano ) described by the early biographers Francis, who knew him personally, as a modest, reserved and very clever man.

The Legend of Three Companions, which represents the historical facts probably with some artistic freedom, reported that the strong change of Francis Bernard was irritated because he knew him from his earlier time when this was still a cavalier and wasteful emerging young man. Bernhard had been thinking about his motives and was impressed by his hard life and his love of poverty. Bernard Francis have invited several times to nightly talks in his house and asked him about his life and his spiritual foundations. After some time he decided then to distribute his wealth to the poor and to join Francis.

The beginnings of the Brethren

With Catanii Pietro, who was also a lawyer, Bernhard probably had business to do for some time, maybe they were friends. According to some sources, they came together on April 16, 1208 St. Francis of Assisi and asked him to be allowed to join his way of life. It is possible that the symbolic number three was a reason to portray these events in this way. According to other sources, namely Bernhard, Francis connected by a nightly conversation first, Pietro came to Francis and Bernard only a day later. The Legend of Three Companions reported that Francis himself was initially unsure how to deal with the two serious men. So the three decided to question the gospel and thus God himself. When her order's rule they considered henceforth three sets from the Gospels that they had determined the early morning of April 16 in the church of San Nicolo on the Piazza of Assisi by the three-time impact of the Missal (called an oracle book ). (See Francis of Assisi ).

After a week, they were joined on as the fourth brother of the farmer Giles of Assisi. The brothers went in pairs by Italy and preached repentance and conversion, while Bernhard went with Pietro, Giles with Francis. As it already had eight brothers little later, they returned to this Couple walking on preaching tour through Italy. Here, Francis instructed them to behave like the apostles, so to be peaceful to go without protection, to obtain alms alive and proclaim the kingdom of God.

The brothers met in their travels both astonishment and admiration, but also to ridicule and contempt. Exemplary reports the Legend of Three Companions in a long passage from the residence of Bernard of Quintavalle and an unnamed brother in Florence. He probably took place in early spring 1209, but perhaps only after the trip to Spain in 1214, instead. Bernhard and his companion were on their way back to Assisi and had brought back from this trip some new companions. In Florence they encountered harsh rejection, but also heroic devotion to what the legend describes vividly in several episodes. In essence, it probably goes back to stories of Bernard in the circle of brethren.

Growth of the Order

Within a short time the community grew so twelve brothers, and another inlet was in sight, so they went before Pentecost in 1209 to Rome by Pope Innocent III. to ask for the confirmation of their life. This was important because the church vehemently fought in this period against various heretical movements such as the Cathars and Waldensians. Brothers who preached poverty and penance, thus translated from the prosecution if they are not closely tied to the church leadership and testified their fidelity to the teaching of the Church.

In the illustration the way back from Rome, which contributes greatly legendary trains, Bernhard is represented as the organizer of the trip. The brothers are stranded in a remote area, exhausted and without reserves. Suddenly, a man appears and gives them bread. Thus, they can be strengthened go on for a while until they come back in populated areas and can provide alms. The brothers understand this event as its first test in the experience of existential poverty and life from trust in God. They call this trip the " engagement " or " wedding " Lady Poverty.

Bernard of Quintavalle accompanied Francis of Assisi on his first missionary journey to Spain and Morocco in 1214, but had to cancel due to an illness this. Celano tells of the failed companies, however, only very sketchy.

More life

According to legend, Francis gave him just before his death, a special blessing. The blessing is preserved in the writings of the 14th century as a dictate of Francis. In the source it is:

In order for certain Francis him the spiritual leader of the Order. Compared to the all-powerful and energetic Minister General Elias of Cortona, however, its influence on the brothers may have been only slight. As a close confidant of Francis and a man of the first hour Bernhard was very likely to the more radical party in the after Francis ' death in poverty fractious dispute fraternity. For him, not the interpretation of the rule, but Francis himself was counted to him as a living example, which he emulated. Bernard of Quintavalle died in the period 1242-1245 in the convent of the Friars in Siena.

Representations

Bernhard is represented as praying Franciscans in the fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli in the church of San Francesco in Montefalco. Also you can find him in the museum of Laon, in a representation of the mourners at the death of St. Francis.