The relics of Saint Francis of Assisi, in the Italian region of Umbria, are on display on Sunday for the first time in decades and for a month, to commemorate the eighth centenary of his death on October 3, 1226.

Published on: 02/22/2026 - 16:39 Last updated: 02/22/2026 - 16:42

From this Sunday until next March 22, visitors will be able to view the saint's bones in front of the altar of the lower church in the Basilica of St. Francis for the first time in decades.

Brother Giulio Cesario, the media official at the Franciscan Monastery in Assisi, said that this lengthy presentation “can be a moving experience for believers and non-believers, because it bears witness to Francis’ complete sacrifice of himself through the severely damaged and eroded bones.”

Date of discovery and transfer of the remains

The body of Saint Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order who gave up his wealth and devoted his life to the poor, was transferred to the church built in his honor in 1230. But his tomb was not discovered until 1818, after excavations carried out with the utmost secrecy.

After a long concealment from view, on Saturday morning the transparent display cabinet containing the remains of Saint Francis since 1978 was removed from the metal coffin in which it was kept inside his stone tomb in the church’s crypt.

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The small skeleton, whose skull was damaged while being transported to the church in the 13th century, lies on a white silk sheet.

Expectations of a huge crowd of pilgrims

With the exception of previous exhumations for the purposes of observation and scientific examination, the bones of Saint Francis had only been displayed once before, in 1978, to a very limited audience and for only one day.

During this period, the site is expected to attract 15,000 visitors per day during the week, and up to 19,000 visitors on Saturday and Sunday.

So far, “reservations from about 400,000 people from all over the world have been registered, with a clear predominance from Italy,” according to Brother Marco Morrone, custodian of the Franciscan monastery.

"But we also have visitors from Brazil, North America and Africa," he added.

Usually, during this period of the year, which is considered relatively quiet in terms of visitor numbers, the church does not receive more than a thousand visitors per day on weekdays, while the number reaches four thousand visitors on weekends.

France 24/AFP

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