02/17/2026, 09:0302/17/2026, 09:03
After almost eight centuries, the remains of the Catholic Saint Francis of Assisi will be seen in public for the first time. His hometown, the 27,500-inhabitant community of Assisi in central Italy, is expecting several hundred thousand visitors.
Pope Leo XIV at the grave of Francis of Assisi.Image: keystone
The exhibition starts this weekend. According to the Franciscan Order, more than 350,000 people have already registered to see the relics in the papal Basilica of San Francesco.
Francis of Assisi (1181/82-1226) is one of the most famous saints in the Catholic Church. He was also named after Pope Francis, who died last year.
The son of a rich cloth merchant from Assisi broke away from his family in his early 20s at the beginning of the 13th century, devoted himself to the faith and led a life of absolute poverty. He was declared a saint just two years after his death in his mid-40s.
Italy declares the anniversary of the death on October 4th a public holiday
The coffin containing his body was buried deep in the earth in a hidden place. He remained there for almost six centuries. In 1818, Pope Pius VII gave the Franciscans permission to uncover the tomb. A new crypt was built specifically for the sarcophagus in the lower church of the basilica. Since then, the bones have been scientifically examined and checked for authenticity several times, most recently in 2015.
Francis of Assisi is considered a patron saint in Italy.Image: keystone
The church justifies the exhibition by saying that believers should be able to have an “immediate, sensory experience” on the 800th anniversary of his death. The exhibition lasts until March 22nd.
In Italy, whose patron saint is Francis of Assisi, the celebrations continue afterwards. Pope Leo has also announced himself in Assisi. October 4th, the supposed day of the saint’s death, was even declared a public holiday. (sda/dpa)
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