The Wolf of Gubbio
A medieval story says St Francis tamed a wolf that terrified an Italian town, and the townspeople fed it until it died of old age.
What was reported
The Little Flowers of St Francis, a collection of stories written down in the 14th century, tells of a huge wolf that terrified the town of Gubbio, in Umbria. Francis of Assisi went out to meet it, made the sign of the cross and spoke to it.
In the story, the wolf laid its paw in his hand and agreed to leave the town in peace, in return for being fed. It lived among the people for two years, going from door to door, and was mourned when it died.
Explanations offered
Most historians see it as a parable, though wolves were a real danger in medieval Italy. In 1872, during work on a small church in Gubbio, the skeleton of a large wolf was reportedly found buried beneath a slab, which some link to the story.
- When
- Told of the 1220s
- Where
- Gubbio, Umbria, Italy
- Witnesses
- Told in the Little Flowers of St Francis
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.