Bernardino of Fossa

Bernardino of Fossa (b. at Fossa, in the Diocese of Aquila, Italy, in 1420; d. at Aquila, 27 November 1503) was an Italian Franciscan historian and ascetical writer.

Bernardino belonged to the ancient and noble family of the Amici, and sometimes bears the name of Aquilanus on account of his long residence and death in the town of Aquila. He received his early training at Aquila and thence went to Perugia to study canon and civil law. On 12 March in the year 1445, he received the habit from James of the Marches who was then preaching a course of Lenten sermons at Perugia.

Bernardine was provincial of the province of St. Bernardine and of the province of Dalmatia and Bosnia, and would have been chosen Bishop of Aquila had not his humility forbidden him to accept this dignity. His cult was approved by Pope Leo XII, 26 March 1828. His feast is kept in the Franciscan Order on 7 November.

The writings of Blessed Bernardine include several sermons and short ascetical and historical works; among the latter, the Chronica Fratrum Minorum Observantiae deserves special mention. This chronicle was first edited by Leonard Lemmens, O.F.M., from the autograph manuscript, and is prefaced by a life of Blessed Bernardine and a critical estimate of his writings. It may also be mentioned that Bernardine is the author of the first life of his patron, Bernardine of Siena.