Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi
1194 CE
to 1253 CE
Clare of Assisi (sometimes spelled Clair, Claire, etc.)
(July 16, 1194 – August 11, 1253), born Chiara Offreduccio, is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi.
She founds the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition, and writes their Rule of Life—the first monastic rule known to have been written by a woman.
Following her death, the order she had founded is renamed in her honor as the Order of Saint Clare, commonly referred to today as the Poor Clares.