Ostension of St Francis, Assisi's embrace of the patron saint of Italia

A sign of hope in an era torn by conflict. A historic event is taking place in Assisi. On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis in the lower church of the Basilica, there is the first public and prolonged exposition of the mortal remains of the Poverello of Assisi, patron saint of Italia and founder of the Franciscan Order, proclaimed saint by Pope Gregory IX on 16 July 1228.

St Francis continues to touch people's hearts, universally loved because he is a symbol of peace, poverty, humility and respect for creation. Called the 'poor man of Assisi' because of his choice to strip himself of all material goods and lead a simple life. The son of a wealthy textile merchant, his life changed radically, marked by his encounter with lepers, which prompted St Francis to put himself at the service of the poor and marginalised. But who was St Francis? "He was certainly a man animated by great inner strength and faith. He was a believer,' explains Fra Marco Moroni, Custos of the Sacred Convent of Assisi, 'and as such he also managed to upset habits, to be within the Church a new figure, who brings the ancient novelty of the Gospel. He takes up the Gospel with full force at a time when it was faltering a little'.

With the Canticle of the Creatures, the saint of Assisi conveyed a mystical and respectful vision of nature, which made him a forerunner of ecology. Abandoning all his wealth, he wanted to convey the message that happiness comes from detachment from material goods, a message of sobriety that is still powerful today. Until 22 March 2026, in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis, it will therefore be possible to participate in this historic event, as part of the solemn celebrations and initiatives dedicated to the universality and topicality of the Saint of Assisi's message. A spiritual journey, but also a testimony of the affection that surrounds Saint Francis, eight hundred years after his death.

by It was Brother Elias of Cortona, on the evening of 3 October 1226, who gave news to the Pope and all the friars of the death of Francis. And it was also he, in 1230, who hid the body of the Poverello who was only 44 years old. He did this because in the Middle Ages it was 'fashionable' to steal the remains of saints. So he placed the remains of St Francis in a heavy sarcophagus and buried them in great secrecy under the high altar of the basilica. So secret was it that the saint's remains fell into oblivion for almost six centuries. Then the remains of St Francis remained in the church of San Giorgio, while the fame of Francis spread throughout the world with great rapidity. And the desire to build a place of worship in the very place where the saint had been born and raised also spread. It was Brother Elias who organised the construction of the Lower Basilica, in Assisi, on the Colle dell'Inferno (Hell Hill), for years used as a place of executions, which was to become the Colle del Paradiso (Hill of Paradise).

It was not until 1806, under Pope Pius VII, that it was decided to go after them, but work was stopped by Napoleon's invasion of Italy. Work only resumed in 1818. After 52 days of work, a breach in the concrete was opened that brought to light the sarcophagus of St Francis. Since then, no one other than the friars and authorised scholars has ever had the chance to see it. On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of his death, at the instigation of Pope Francis, and now with the authorisation of Pope Leo XIV, the bones of the saint have been exposed to the adoration of the faithful. For one month, from 22 February to 22 March. You can only enter by reservation, and make the pilgrimage to Assisi, to the Lower Basilica, by a route. Autonomously or with a friar as guide.