Francesco e il canto della terra. Su alcuni riferimenti al discorso della montagna nelle Laudes creaturarum

The paper argues for an overall reinterpretation of Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Brother Sun (or Laudes creaturarum) in light of the so-called Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7 and parallels). In particular, new insights are offered, which point towards reading the few lines of the text that are focused on “our sister and mother Earth” as a covert allusion to Matthew 6:25-30. Once recognized, the presence of such an allusion could have profound implications not only for a general understanding of the Canticle, but also for a careful re-evaluation of its message in a time of ecological crisis.