12th Century St. Francis Missal Goes On View in Baltimore

Divine Inspiration: The Legacy of the St. Francis Missal is now on view at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore focusing on a 12th-century missal believed by Franciscans to be a relic of touch of St. Francis of Assisi. 

The missal is rarely displayed due to its fragility, and is accompanied by 18 additional objects that demonstrate St. Francis’ role as a figure in art history, including manuscripts.

“St. Francis was one of the most frequently represented saints in Medieval and Renaissance art, and the Walters is fortunate to have a number of exceptional artworks that feature him and his early followers,” said Lynley Anne Herbert, Robert and Nancy Hall Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts. “But there is no question that the St. Francis Missal is the star of this show, directly connecting an artifact from St. Francis’ life to his longer impact and influence."

According to early biographies, in the year 1208 St. Francis and two followers were debating what God’s plan for them might be and sought answers at the church of San Nicolò in Assisi. St. Francis opened a book on the altar three times at random. In each case the text urged renouncing earthly goods. This pivotal moment laid the foundation for the Franciscan order. Over the past century, research by Franciscan scholars affirms the belief that this missal is the book consulted by St. Francis of Assisi and his companions. An inscription chronicling the book’s creation for the church of San Nicolò and that mentions the book’s patron, Gerard of Ugo, lends additional support to this theory.

Centuries of use took a toll on the book’s delicate binding and by 2015 it was too fragile to open or exhibit to the public. In 2016, the Walters conservation staff began a two-year restoration project, and the exhibition includes details of the Missal’s conservation.

Alongside the Missal is an early manuscript with a depiction of St. Francis preaching to animals with St. Clare. The image of St. Francis’ face is damaged, likely a result of devotional touch or kissing when the book was originally in use in the 14th century.

Divine Inspiration commemorates the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death on October 3, 1226, and is on view through Sunday, February 7, 2027.