“One night while I was in prayer in the Cathedral of Siena, I saw Our Lord Jesus Christ enter the church with a large multitude of saints behind him. Wherever Jesus lifted his feet, he left his footprints on the ground. Those saints who were following him all studied to see how they could place their feet inside the footprints left by Christ. And no one was able to place their feet exactly inside his footsteps. Then came St. Francis, light and straightforward, who placed his feet perfectly into the footprints of Christ. And this vision to saint Pietro Pettinaio declared that no saint has ever been so alike to Christ as St. Francis”. He who writes is brother Giacomo degli Oddi, a friar minor of the Observance, who lived at the friary at Monteripido in Perugia, where he was the Guardian in 1460 and again in 1469 and 1480. He was the author of a hagiographic work, the Mirror of the Order, better known as the Franceschina. Brother Giacomo narrates this vision in the first prologue. The protagonist is blessed Pietro Pettinaio, a person who is familiar to us. As a matter of fact, it is that same Pietro Pettinaio who Dante speaks of in his Commedia. In canto XIII (123-128) of Purgatory, Dante meets Sapia of Siena among the envious. He converted late in life, as he himself admits: “Peace I desired with God at the extreme of my existence”. And now he is in purgatory also thanks to the prayers of Pier Pettinaio “Who out of charity was grieved for me”. So who is this person? We have only very little sure information. We know he came from Siena and that he was a merchant of combs (pettini) for carding. That is where his nickname “pettinaio” comes from. Renowned for his honesty and devotion, he died very old in Siena on December 5, 1289. Ubertino da Casale adds another detail to his biography. He tells us that Pietro Pettinaio lived for some time in the friary of Santa Croce in Florence as a member of the Third Order, which gathered lay men and women who wished to follow the path of Francis in the world. But let’s go back to the text of the Franceschina. We’re in the Cathedral of Siena and it’s night time. Pietro is praying. All of a sudden he has a vision. They are words packed with a simplicity and freshness that can’t help but to interrogate us. Concrete words. Jesus walks and leaves his footprints. Many people try to place their feet inside of those steps... but then Francis comes along and “light and straightforward, places his feet perfectly into the footprints of Christ”. To follow Christ means to place our feet inside of his footprints, to repeat his footsteps walking behind him. Once again the issue is that of the conformity of Francis to Christ, as brother Giacomo concludes: “No saint has ever been so alike to Christ as St. Francis”, but this image, in its clearness, has the strength of implicating us and of calling us to follow the same path.