Clare of Assisi was an Italian saint and one of the first known followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. She is credited as the founder of the “Order of Poor Ladies” and also wrote their ‘Rule of Life.’ She was born in Assisi, into the family of a rich representative of a Roman family. Her father was an affluent man who owned a castle in Assisi. Clare always had a strong inclination toward religion and prayed a lot as a kid. She was to get married to an influential person, according to her family’s traditions. During her teenage years, Saint Francis visited her town. Hugely inspired by him, she asked him to take her along with him. Her family was not happy with her decision, but Clare decided to choose the path of religion and was placed in the convent of the Benedictine nuns of San Paulo. She was later sent to the church of ‘San Damiano’ in Assisi, Italy. There, she became the leader of a group of women known as the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano.” The order that she founded came to be known for the power of their prayers, which apparently saved Assisi twice from foreign invaders.
