Meaning of St. Francis of Assisi Tattoos

Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animalswas born in Assisi, Italy. Even though he grew up in a noble family, St. Francis of Assisi lived and valued humility.

He is considered the saint of humility, joy, poverty, and love of nature. He believed that the Gospel should be followed to the letter, imitating the life of Christ, and because of this he developed a deep identification with the problems of his fellow men and the humanity of Christ himself.

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most artistically represented saints, including in tattoos. He is usually shown with a light or dark brown habit, a cord around his waist with three knots, a rosary, a Bible, a crucifix, and some animals.

The brown habit is part of the very Order he founded, the Franciscan Order. It serves to distinguish the sacred from the poor and humble.

His cord is a belt with three knots, symbolizing vows made to God: poverty, chastity, and obedience.

The rosary shows your Marian devotion and that it is closely related to the protection of Our Lady.

The Bible represents that his knowledge is based on the Word of God. Everything he did and spoke is in accordance with the teachings of Jesus written in the Gospels.

The Cross represents his total surrender to Christ, even to the point of receiving his pains and sufferings.

The animals that appear around him symbolize his love for Creation, for he called all living beings brothers. It was even common to have the presence of animals in his sermons.