On March 29, 1228, the year of the canonization of Francis, Simone di Pucciarello gave the site to the Franciscans on behalf of the Church of Rome to build the Basilica. The Church of Rome was interested in honoring a brother who had an affiliation with the ordinary folk. St. Francis whole ideal was poverty and the benevolence to the poor. The Basilica was bestowed with gifts of gold, etc. and grants from wealthy patrons like Emperor Frederick and Gregory IX. It is said that "the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi was one of the greatest centres of attraction of Christianity, if not the most important one." In 1230, the body of the Saint was transferred to the Basilica, after a scandal in which Brother Elias and some other Franciscans stole the body en route in case another faction of Franciscans was contemplating taking the body of Francis to his beloved Porziuncola, his place of death. Many hard-line Franciscans felt that this was the proper place to erect a church for the Saint