Franco da Assergi was an Italian Benedictine monk and hermit who lived from approximately 1154 to 1300. Born to wealthy livestock breeders in Roio Piano, he spent two decades at the monastery of San Giovanni in Collimento before choosing a life of solitude. He lived as an ascetic in various mountainous regions, including the woods of Lucoli, the central Abruzzo mountains, the Gran Sasso range, and finally the peaks surrounding Assergi.
Life and legends
During his time as a hermit, local traditions attributed several miracles to him, such as taming wolves and causing water to flow from stone. One popular legend describes him rescuing an infant from the jaws of a wolf. Because of this story, he is frequently depicted in art alongside a wolf that carries a child in its mouth.
Veneration
He is honored as a saint in the Catholic Church, with his feast day observed on June 5. Devotees travel to the mountains near Assergi to visit a circular stone hermitage. Pilgrims often visit a spring believed to have been created by the saint, which is thought to possess healing qualities.