Andrea Franchi

In 1381 or 1382, under the pontificate of Urban VI, Andrea Franchi was appointed bishop of his native city, Pistoia, succeeding Giovanni Vivenzi. Despite his initial reluctance to assume this office, he governed his diocese with exceptional pastoral zeal. He organized rigorous pastoral visits to inquire into the spiritual and material state of his faithful. Nicknamed the "Father of the poor" (Padre dei poveri), he distinguished himself by his tireless charity toward the destitute and the sick. To assist them, he notably had an assistance facility built known as the "farmacia dei ferri." He was also a great builder and patron: he had the episcopal palace enlarged, had the chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas erected there, and commissioned important artistic works, notably frescoes from the painter Giovanni di Bartolomeo Cristiani for the church of San Domenico. On the ecclesial level, after the ravages of the Black Death, he worked actively to restore discipline and regular observance in the Dominican convents of the region. He also approved and supported penitential confraternities in order to promote peace and mercy in a city then torn by violent internal struggles between rival families. In August 1399, during the passage through Pistoia of the mass penitential movement of the "Bianchi" (the Whites), he strove to channel the popular fervor and to manage the plague epidemic that resulted from it.

Worn out by the fatigues of his ministry and by illness, Andrea Franchi asked to be relieved of his episcopal duties. On May 29, 1400, he officially renounced his see and retired to the simplicity of his beloved convent of San Domenico in Pistoia. He spent the last months of his life in prayer, penance, and the joyful acceptance of his physical sufferings. He passed away holily on May 26, 1401. During the exhumation of his body in 1613, his remains were found incorrupt, exhaling a sweet fragrance.

The immemorial cult of Andrea Franchi was officially confirmed (equivalent beatification) by Pope Benedict XV on November 21, 1921 (some sources mention November 23, 1921). His tomb, which has been moved several times over the centuries, still rests in the church of San Domenico in Pistoia.

The spirituality of Andrea Franchi was deeply rooted in the Dominican charism of contemplation and the transmission of truth through preaching. Even when invested with episcopal dignity, he continued to observe the rule of his order rigorously, practicing personal poverty and penance. He nurtured a particular devotion to the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and the Magi, which led him to revitalize the Company of the Magi in Pistoia. A man of reconciliation, he placed all his pastoral weight at the service of civil peace, succeeding in calming the bloody conflicts between the factions of his city. His legacy remains alive in Pistoia, where he is venerated as a model of a charitable pastor, a peacemaker, and a faithful servant of the poor.