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Assisi Opens Month-Long Public Display of St. Francis’s Remains for First Time in 800 Years

The tightly managed showing serves as the early centerpiece of Italy’s 800th‑anniversary commemorations.

Overview

  • Following a ceremonial transfer from the crypt on Saturday, the exhibition runs in the Basilica San Francesco through 22 March.
  • Organizers report roughly 370,000 to 400,000 registrations, with time‑slot bookings required via sanfrancescovive.org.
  • Visitor flow plans include a large staging tent for up to 1,500 people and guidance for a quiet, continuous procession past the reliquary.
  • The bones, authenticated in prior investigations most recently in 2015, are displayed in a nitrogen‑filled, bullet‑resistant glass case under continuous surveillance.
  • The program forms part of wider state‑church events, including restoration of the 4 October national holiday and a papal visit to Assisi scheduled for 6 August.