Compilatio o del gioco creativo della memoria. L’ultima benedizione di Francesco nella testualità francescana (secc. XIII-XIV)

This essay examines how Franciscan hagiographical compilations reshaped the memory of Francis of Assisi’s final blessing. Comparing major sources from Thomas of Celano and Bonaventure to the Compilatio assisiensis, Speculum perfectionis, Actus, and Angelo Clareno’s Historia, it identifies significant changes in the episode’s setting, participants, gestures, and language. Particular attention is given to the contrasting roles of Elia da Cortona and Bernardo of Quintavalle, whose representations reflect evolving debates over succession, authority, poverty, and institutional identity. The study argues that these variations were not merely distortions, but creative acts of compilation through which competing Franciscan communities negotiated their collective memory and legitimacy.