At the turn of the 12th century Giovanni di Bernardone of Assisi, a young aspiring knight, was taken prisoner between the warring Assisi and Perugia in the Umbria region in central Italy. Enduring approximately a year in the harsh conditions of prison, Giovanni di Bernardone (better known as Francesco) was released through a ransom payment, as his father was a wealthy textile merchant. Coming home extremely sick, it was during his road to recovery that Francesco experienced a deep conversion, leading him to abandon his dream to participate in the crusades, to leave behind his youthful excesses of partying, and to not follow in his father's footsteps as a textile merchant.