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last mo.

Assisi Unveils Saint Francis’s Remains for First Public Veneration in 800 Years

Strict registration with heavy security safeguards the relics during an exceptional influx of pilgrims.

El pequeño esqueleto, cuyo cráneo se dañó durante su traslado a la basílica en el siglo XIII, reposa sobre un paño de seda blanco.
Por primera vez en la historia, los restos de San Francisco de Asís se exhiben públicamente en la basílica de su ciudad natal. (AP / Gregorio Borgia)
Los restos de San Francisco de Asís.
Varios frailes oran ante los restos de Francisco de Asís en la basílica que lleva el nombre del santo católico, en Asís, Italia, el sábado 21 de febrero de 2026, la víspera del inicio de la exposición al público a partir del 22 de febrero, para conmemorar el 800mo aniversario de su muerte en 1226. (AP Foto/Gregorio Borgia)

Overview

  • The bones were transferred from the crypt to the Lower Basilica and placed in a bullet‑proof glass vitrine under 24‑hour surveillance, with photography prohibited.
  • Nearly 400,000 people have booked to visit, with officials saying the total could approach 500,000 before the remains return to the tomb on March 22.
  • Entry is by registration only, with organizers planning roughly 15,000–20,000 visitors per day and enforcing crowd‑control inside the church.
  • Local authorities mobilized about 400 volunteers and added remote parking and shuttle services to guide flows through the medieval town.
  • The monthlong ostension, supported by national and regional programs including €2.5 million from Umbria, has prompted dissent among some friars over whether the display aligns with Franciscan simplicity.