Francis was a follower of St. Francis of Assisi and a vegan. He decided to live as a hermit, and was later joined by others who also wanted a simpler life. At first he called this new community the "Poor Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi," but they became known as the "Minims" since Francis emphasized he was less significant than Francis of Assisi.
On this day in 1474, Pope Sixtus confirmed the establishment of the Order of the Minims.
In 1613, a Minims convent was established in Provence, France. The care and growing of plants was part of monastery life. Louis Feuilee, the botanist for King Louis XIV, was a Minim who lived and studied there.
After the French Revolution, the convent was closed until 1862 when it became a hospice, administered by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. They tended the Minims' gardens and planted fruit trees, vines, and herbs which they concocted into medicines for treating returning missionaries. In 1999, the Franciscans left the hospice which then closed. It reopened as a hotel and spa in 2008, and is owned and operated by the cosmetic company, L'Occitane.
To help the Franciscan Missionaries "in their missions for children and healthcare, and pay tribute to their actions in the convent," Le Couvent des Minimes "give(s) back one percent of our annual sales to their association."
The company continues to use some of the convent's original rescipes in their cosmetics.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw