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424 GERMÁN ZAMORA religiosidad meditándola. En el nuestro, algún docto ha tratado de salvar, al menos, un núcleo de historicidad en muchos de esos relatos curiosos de las tradiciones mitopoéticas, cantados por el arte y la leyenda, pero sin éxito. Y es que se hace preciso conceder su parte del león, en el asunto, a la potencia confabuladora del hombre, tan activa en la edad media y en sus epígonos de comienzos de la moderna. Y hacerle justfcia, legitimando sus creaciones y no confundiéndolas con lo que no fueron ni, probablemente, pretendieron ser. SUMMARY. - The Franciscan Museum of the Capuchin Historical Institute located in Rome, Italy, offers a fine exhibit of drawings and prints of the iconography of Saint Francis. The current study examines this collection with regard to the infancy of the Saint. Examining first of all the extant material we discover four iconographic cycles: genealogical-heraldic, nativity, baptismal, and that with reference to the homage of the man who placed his cloak at the feet of the adolescent Francis. In the cycle of the nativity several sub-cycles are visible, and in three of the four major headings appear different typologics. Many artists of thc 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries contributed especially with the chalcography to the popularization of the history and the legends of Francis of Assisi. Prominent among these are F. Villamena, F. Thomassin, J. Ligozzi, F. Galle, T. de Leu, G. van Schoor, M. van den Enden, A. M. Wolfgang, B. Picart and A. Viladomat. In a seconcl phase of the study the sources of inspiration for these artists and their patrons have been researched and found principally in Saint Bonaventure and in the Liber confonnitatum of Bartholomew of Pisa. The third section highlights the intention of the editors of these works, finding various motives such as pedagogy, devotional or panegyric intentions, criticism, and reverence. In the conclusion the role of art, history and legend with regard to this iconography is appraised.