Pilar Monastery Cloister: The Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi

The Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi
This historic mural in the cloister of the Monastery of Our Lady of Pilar in Goa, India, depicts St. Francis of Assisi after receiving the stigmata, the wounds associated with the Crucifixion of Christ. According to the explanatory board at the monastery, Francis received the stigmata two years before his death and was nearly blind.

As seen in the image, Francis, holding a crucifix with his eyes closed, is seated on a rock and supported from behind by an angel, while another angel appears among the clouds above as rays descend from heaven. The wounds of the stigmata can be seen on his extended hand and bare foot. A crane-like wading bird, familiar along the west coast of India, stands near his feet watching him, perhaps symbolizing St. Francis’s well-known love of birds, animals, and nature.

Interestingly, episodes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi are also depicted in the blue-and-white azulejo panels covering the exterior of Capela das Almas in Porto, Portugal. Among them is the Stigmata of St. Francis, providing an interesting comparison of the same Franciscan story represented in two very different artistic traditions.

Paintings in the Pilar Monastery Cloister
1. Pilar Monastery Cloister: One Good Deed Wins Heaven
2. Pilar Monastery Cloister: A Good Monk’s Reward
3. Pilar Monastery Cloister: The Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi
4. Pilar Monastery Cloister: The Death of St. Francis of Assisi
5. Pilar Monastery Cloister: Death of St. Joseph

Life of St. Francis of Assisi from Capela das Almas in Porto, Portugal
– Capela das Almas: St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata
– Capela das Almas: St. Francis Embracing Christ on the Cross
– Capela das Almas: St. Francis Preaching Before Pope Honorius III
– Capela das Almas: St. Francis Preaching to the Birds and the Miracle of the Spring
– Capela das Almas: The Death of St. Francis of Assisi

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