Fra Cristoforo and San Bernardo


fra-cristoforo-e-san-bernardo

It is believed that A. Manzoni was inspired by San Bernardo da Corleone for the character of Fra Cristoforo in "I Promessi Sposi".
This thesis is described in a descriptive poster leaning against the wall near the wooden statue where the remains of San Bernardo da Corleone are kept, inside the church of Santa Maria della Pace, located in the Convent of the Friars Minor Capuchin in Palermo.
Between the two figures it is possible to discern several similarities.
Fra Cristoforo, the son of a merchant, was an arrogant swordsman always ready for a quarrel. Following a clash with a noble and his death in a duel caused by trivial causes, he takes refuge in a Capuchin convent in his city. It was the beginning of a conversion process that led the young man to change his life.
Bernardo di Corleone, baptized at birth with the names of Filippo Latino, was a fickle and courageous shoemaker who had learned to pull of fencing enough to become one of the best swords on the island. One day, during a fight, he seriously injured a comrade, a certain Vito Canino, and sought refuge in a monastery. It was the beginning of a profound conversion.

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