FRANCESCO DI PAULA, or ST. FRANCIS OF PAOLA, an Italian monk, founder of the order of the Minims; born in Paula or Paola, a village of Calabria, in 1416. At the age of 13 he was the in mate of a Franciscan convent; and at 19 he retired to a cave where he inflicted on himself every species of self-mortifica tion. The fame of his piety having at tracted to his cell several emulators of his austere life, he obtained permission to erect a convent, and the new community received from Pope Sixtus IV. the title of the Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi; but the title was changed by Alexander VI. to Minim-Hermits of St. Francis of Paola. The founder established nu merous communities in Italy, Sicily, France, Spain, and Germany, but the Minims were never settled in Great Brit ain or Ireland. Popular report having attributed to Francesco several wonder ful cures, Louis XI. of France, being ill, summoned him to his presence. Fran cesco was received with the highest honor and attended the king on his deathbed.
Charles VIII. and Louis XII. induced him to settle in France, and built him convents at Plessis-les-Tours and Am boise. Francesco died in Plessis on Good Friday, 1507, and was canonized in 1519.
an ancient prov ince of France, adjacent to Switzerland and Lorraine: Its capital was Besancon, and it is now divided into the depart ments of Haute-Saone, Jura„ and Doubs. This province, conquered by the Franks in 534, formed part of the Duchy of Bur gundy, and was bestowed on Philip II. of Spain on his marriage with Isabella, daughter of Henry II. of France, in 1559. Louis XIV. conquered it in 1668, and re stored it to Spain by the treaty of Aix la-Chapelle, May 12, 1668. He conquered it again in 1674, and it was finally ceded to France by Spain, by the treaty of Nimeguen, Sept. 17, 1678.