Karl von Hase (1800 - 1890), a Protestant theologian and one of the most significant church historians of his time, writes about the famous Francis of Assisi. The founder of the Franciscan order, who was later canonized, is examined in this biography by Hase in a worthy yet analytical manner within his historical context, thus freeing him from a certain romantic exuberance that characterized many other biographies of Assisi. This is a carefully edited reprint of the original edition from 1856.