Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, c. 1181 – 1226) was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Born into a wealthy merchant family in Assisi, he turned toward a life of poverty and devotion as a young man, repairing chapels and caring for the sick. He later gathered followers, and after receiving papal approval the Order of Friars Minor grew rapidly under his leadership. He was canonized in 1228 and is one of the most venerated figures in Christianity.