After the death of St. Francis, the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor split between the Spirituals (who sought a radical new interpretation of Saint Francis’ Rule and that soon became the heretical sect known as the Fraticelli, excommunicated by Pope John XXII in 1318) and the Conventuals (who, by definition, preferred to live together in convents, which by then had become a point of reference for the ever-growing population of towns). This first schism gave rise to many reforms within the Order. The Observants were established in 1334: this body sought to follow the precepts of Saint Francis as closely as possible, in strict observance of Franciscan poverty. The relationship between Conventuals and Observants went through rough times: in 1446 Pope Eugene IV officially recognized the Observants and granted them full autonomy, thus implying his preference, later rebutted by Pope Sixtus IV who, instead, tried to favour the Conventuals. A solution was found in 1517 when the Conventuals, the Observants and all the reformed Franciscan orders were united by Pope Leo X in a single Order of Friars Minor. Subsequently a new reform was attempted with the growth of the Capuchin order, who took their name from the long hood they used to wear. As the Observants in the past, the Capuchins were true to the original Franciscan rule, which advocated a contemplative and more austere way of . . .