According to various versions of the story, the sword could only be pulled out of the stone by the true king of England.
A similar, though much less well-known, story exists in the Italian region of Tuscany and has been suggested by some as the inspiration for the British legend. This is the story of the sword in the stone of San Galgano.
San Galgano is reported to be the first saint whose canonization was conducted through a formal process by the Church. Consequently, much of what is known about San Galgano’s life comes from documents related to this canonization process, which took place in 1185, just a few years after his death.
