Little Flowers of Saint Francis

Little Flowers of Saint Francis is a collection of short stories about Saint Francis of Assisi, first published in 1400 and composed at the end of the 14th century. It is an anonymous Italian work, most likely written by a Tuscan author, and it draws on an earlier Latin text. The authorship is usually linked to Ugolino Brunforte, though the data also names Giovanni de' Marignolli and an anonymous hand. The book is made up of brief chapters, so it reads as a series of small episodes rather than a continuous biography.

This book is a good fit for readers interested in saints' lives, medieval Christianity, and the way Franciscan stories were shaped in Italy. It works well if you like short, self-contained pieces and don't need a plot-driven narrative. What stands out here is the mix of vernacular Tuscan language and a devotional story cycle, which places it somewhere between religious writing, popular tradition, and early literary prose.