Dear Chara,
My interest in the medieval Franciscan Order has carried me all the way
from Turkey to Rome, to the studium generale of the Order, Antonianum,
where at present I am studying towards a specialization diplom in
Medieval and Franciscan Studies. My interest is mainly in the
intellectual activities of the order, but the school here has got a good
library where you can find almost everything published on and by
Franciscans (unfortunately mostly in Italian). And the professors of
various faculties most of whom are Franciscans, teaching highly
specialized courses.
I do not have a profound knowledge of the spirituality of St. Francis,
and the icon you mentioned I have not heard of. In Assisi and around I
have not seen such an icon or painting which is known to attract special
devotion of the Saint. Anyway, if the sources you have at your disposal
fail to give information on specific occasions, -as a matter of fact,
this goes for anyone in the list working on the topics related to St.
Francis and the Order-, I can make direct your questions to the
professors of the Spirituality faculty here.
With my best wishes for your studies,
Neslihan
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