Clare of Assisi founded the Poor Clares, the contemplative order also called the Order of Saint Clare.
Born in Assisi around 1194, Clare left her family home in 1212 after hearing Francis of Assisi preach. Francis received her into religious life, and she eventually established a community of women at San Damiano, near Assisi. The community became known for poverty, prayer, and communal religious life.
Clare spent much of her life seeking approval for a rule that allowed her sisters to live without owning property. In 1253, shortly before her death, Pope Innocent IV approved her own rule, making it the first monastic rule known to have been written by a woman for women.
The Poor Clares are distinct from the Franciscan friars, although Clare’s community developed within the Franciscan movement. Clare was canonized in 1255, only two years after her death, and her feast is celebrated on August 11.