St Francis is most famous for founding ( beginning ) a religious order of Friars ( Brothers ) called the Franciscan , in 1208 . One of St Francis ' followers , St. Clare was also born in Assisi and founded an order of religious women called the Poor Clares . It was the birthplace of St. Francis , who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208 , and St. Clare ( Chiara d'Offreducci ) , the founder of the Poor Sisters , which later became the Order of Poor Clares after her death .