Giovanna

Profile

In the Heaven of the Sun, Cacciaguida recalls the Franciscan life by remembering the humility of the mother of Saint Francis, designated by her first name alone. The text calls her «madre sua veramente Giovanna», attesting to the sense of authenticity and choice that binds her to her son in the genealogical account of the Paradiso. The designation coincides with the tradition that makes her the wife of Pietro Bernardone and the mother of the Poverello of Assisi, here evoked in a context of praise for modest origins and the Franciscan election.