«Fonti ghall-Hajja ta’ Santa Klara t’Assisi» (Sources for the Life of Saint Clare of Assisi) are historical documents about Saint Clare (1193-1253) and the origins of the Order of Poor Ladies of San Damiano (Poor Clares), written in the period 1212-1263. These documents are witnesses of the femminine characteristics of Franciscan life, as this life has been expressed and understood by Clare, the «little plant» of Saint Francis, as she preferred to call herself.

The celebrations of important anniversaries opened new opportunities for more profound studies regarding Saint Clare and the spirituality of the Second Franciscan Order. In particular we remember the 700 anniversary of the death of Saint Clare (1953), the 800 anniversary of her birth (1993), and the 750 anniversary of the approval of the Rule of Saint Clare (2003). These important dates prompted various scholars to delve deeper into the writings and medieval biographies of Saint Clare, in order to arrive at the conclusion that Clare was not simply a faithful copy of Saint Francis, but that she developed a typical spirituality which we can rightly call her very own.

In Malta, the Franciscan Friars Minor and the Sisters of Saint Clare have worked together as a team in order to publish the Writings and some of the Sources of Saint Clare, on the occasion of the 1993 centenary celebrations. In 1986 they had already published the Maltese translation of the critical edition of the Writings of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. In 1993 they translated the Acts of the Process of Canonization of Saint Clare and the Life (in Latin «Legenda») of Saint Clare. Since then they have continued working to present this new and complete edition of the medieval Sources for the Life of Saint Clare. This volume follows upon, and is complementary to, the 2 volume edition of the Sources for the Life of Saint Francis, published by the Maltese Franciscan Province and Edizzjoni TAU in 2005.

The volume is divided into four sections. After a general introduction to Saint Clare’s writings and biographies, section 1 covers the Writings of Saint Clare, namely her Letters, Rule of 1253, and Testament. Section 2 is concerned with the main medieval Sources of the Life of Clare, particularly the Privilege of Poverty, the Rules given by Cardinal Hugolino (1218), Pope Innocent IV (1247), and Pope Urban IV (1263), the Acts of the Process of
Canonization, the Bull of Canonization, and the «Legenda» of Saint Clare. Section 3 is a collage of texts from the Sources of Saint Francis which speak about Saint Clare and the Order of Poor Ladies of San Damiano. Section 4 is dedicated to the Papal documents given to Clare and to the various monasteries of Poor Clares in the 13th century. The volume also includes an updated biography of sources and studies about Saint Clare, and various indexes of biblical references, persons, places, and themes.

Marija Immakulata Bellizzi OSC is still living at Saint Clare’s Monastery. For many years she was Mother Abbess of the said monastery at Saint Julians. Together with the Franciscan Friars she worked upon the transaltion of the Writings of Saint Clare, and was of expert help through her preparation and life-experience in the cloister of the Sisters of Saint Clare.

Noel Muscat OFM and Guzepp Beneditt Xuereb OFM already worked upon the presentation of the 2 volume edition of the Sources of Saint Francis. They have taken the task of translating the greater parts of the medieval documents from the Latin originals. Noel Muscat OFM has particularly translated all the documents after the 1993 edition, and taken care of the introductions, footnotes and indexes.

This volume is the second contribution which the Franciscan Province of Friars Minor (OFM) in Malta is making towards the celebrations of 800 years of the foundation of the Order of Friars Minor (1209-2009), as well as towards the 25 anniversary of the founding of Edizzjoni TAU (1982-2007) by Fr. Raymond Camilleri OFM, with the aim of specializing in publications dealing with Sacred Scripture and the Franciscans of the Holy Land Custody, as well as with Franciscan studies in general.