The Site of the Bed and Oratory of Saint Francis (Luogo del 'letto' e dell'oratorio di San Francesco) [plate R]

Ligozzi employs a dense network of fine, cross‑hatched lines to model the rugged rock and the folds of the garments. The use of tonal variation through stippling and hatching creates a sense of depth, rendering the interior of the cave as a darker recess against the illuminated figures.

Created during Ligozzi’s late‑Renaissance/Mannerist phase, the print was likely intended for devotional circulation among Franciscan patrons. Surviving copies are documented in several European print collections, confirming its distribution in the early seventeenth century.

The work reflects a broader trend in early modern Italy of visualizing holy sites to reinforce piety and pilgrimage. Ligozzi’s meticulous rendering aligns with contemporary expectations for accurate, didactic religious imagery, while his use of overslips demonstrates technical experimentation within printmaking.

Although not as widely reproduced as other Franciscan prints, Ligozzi’s engraving contributes to the visual canon of Saint Francis’s life and illustrates the period’s capacity to blend narrative detail with fine engraving techniques.