Overview
- The friars exhumed the remains from the crypt and translated them to the Lower Basilica in rites presided over by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, the papal legate for Assisi’s basilicas.
- Organizers report nearly 400,000 reservations for the Feb. 21–Mar. 22 ostension, with projected weekday capacity of about 15–16,000 visitors and close to 20,000 on weekends.
- The first Sunday saw about 18,000 pilgrims queue from early morning, with access managed through sanfrancescovive.org and a prayer-focused visit that excludes photography at the reliquary.
- Journalists previewed the glass case holding the fragile skeletal remains, with friar Giulio Cesareo noting visible wear over eight centuries and likely effects from past exhumations.
- Regional authorities in Umbria cite significant preparations, including a €2.5 million anniversary law and a pediatric hospice as a lasting project tied to the commemoration.