Padre Giambattista Martini is best remembered as the great teacher and scholar of 18th-century Bologna, but he was also a Franciscan friar who wrote music for his order's founder. This first-ever recording gathers his works dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi: an unfinished Mass and a number of motets. Drawing on these sources, the Ensemble San Pietro, directed by Marcello Rossi and Giacomo Contro, has assembled a complete Mass for the night of Saint Francis. The release coincides with the anniversary celebrations of one of history's most influential religious figures. An accompanying essay, based on close study of historical documents, draws an intriguing parallel between the composer and the saint he honoured.