St. Mark's Church, Milan  

 

 

 

The first and best known chapter or coming together of the Tuscan Hermits, most of whom were following The Rule or St. Augustine is the chapter that took place in Rome at Santa Maria del Popolo on March 1, 1256.

This was when the hermits abandoned hermit life for the sake of the apostolate and were given:

. the Dame, the Order of Hermit Brothers of St. Augustine;

. a new direction and purpose, namely, that they would be an apostolic fraternity ministering to the needs of the people;

. the color and form of the habit to be worn by the friars;

. their first Prior General, Lanfranc of Milan who was thus charged with the responsibility of unifying the Order in its new purposes.

 

He was reelected prior general by the chapter of 1259 and was confirmed in office by the chapter of 1262 since he was still superior of the Order at the time of his deatb in 1262.

When the ancient Augustinian church of St. Mark in Milan was being restored in 1956, Lanfranc's tomb was discovered and his remains were identified by a stone which bore his name.