The college was founded by the Irish Franciscan, Luke Wadding, in 1625 as a place where young Irish friars could study for the priesthood and where theological scholarship could be carried out. It was suppressed and taken over by the French revolutionary army in 1798-1800 and again in 1810 so that it was unavailable for Irish Franciscan students from 1798 to 1816. All Irish Franciscan priests studied theology here through the last hundred years, apart from the period of World War II, 1939-1945.
Other events, particularly Irish events, are celebrated as they occur.
Madonna del Piano Capranica church and friary (60kms north of Rome) was acquired in 1656 and used at various times as a novitiate and summer house by the Irish friars until the 1980s..
St. Isidore’s College is the property of the Franciscan Province of Ireland OFM, but is on lease at present to the Franciscan Minister General, for the international needs of the Order. In this context, it houses an international group of Franciscan Scholars, together with the huge library which serves their needs. As before, in Quaracchi and Grottaferrata, their work will continue to be in the area of Franciscan studies, research and publication.
Normally the international community in St. Isidore’s includes one or more Irish Franciscans, who continue to provide an Irish Franciscan presence in Rome.
Franciscan Altar Plate new site and follow the following option: Material Culture of the Mendicant Orders in Ireland
