Francis of Assisi

About Francis of Assisi

Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon, and mystic who founded the men's order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) in 1209. His historical importance stems from his radical commitment to poverty, service to the poor, and advocacy for nature, which profoundly shaped medieval religious life and established one of the largest and most enduring religious orders in Christianity. This deep, lasting influence places him at the #212 rank in MIT’s Historical Popularity Index.

Despite his high historical ranking, Francis of Assisi attracts 1.3 million annualized Wikipedia views in 2025. When compared to other religious figures in the study pool, this represents a notable overattention, calculating to a +3x attention gap relative to his historical importance. For instance, his contemporary attention exceeds that of the far more historically ranked Giuseppe Verdi (#137 importance), who garners only 335K views. This suggests that in the digital sphere, his religious legacy translates into a sustained, disproportionately high level of modern interest.

Furthermore, his digital footprint is growing, evidenced by a significant year-over-year increase of +15.7% in pageviews and a strong +22% momentum surge between the first and third quarters of 2025, indicating current relevance or renewed interest in his life and teachings.