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St. Francis’s Remains Go on Public Display in Assisi for Monthlong 800th-Anniversary Exposition

Organizers call the viewing a chance for prayerful tribute to Francis’s legacy.

Friars pray before the remains of Francis of Assisi inside the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, on the eve of a public exposition beginning Feb. 22 to mark the 800th anniversary of his death in 1226. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Pilgrims honor the bones of St. Francis during the first public display inside the St. Francis Basilica, marking the 800th anniversary of the saint death, in Assisi, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A general view of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, on the eve of the public display of St. Francis' remains to mark the 800th anniversary of his death in 1226.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Pilgrims honor the bones of St. Francis during the first public display inside the St. Francis Basilica, marking the 800th anniversary of the saint death, in Assisi, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Overview

  • The skeleton is exhibited in the Basilica of St. Francis through March 22, marking the first broad public showing, after only a tightly limited one-day viewing in 1978.
  • Nearly 400,000 people registered in advance, with Franciscans planning for about 15,000 visitors on weekdays and up to 19,000 on weekends, and local officials estimating the total could reach 500,000.
  • The bones rest in a sealed, nitrogen-filled plexiglass case placed inside a bulletproof, anti-burglary enclosure under 24-hour surveillance with subdued lighting to protect preservation.
  • Assisi has deployed about 400 volunteers and expanded parking and shuttle services to manage flows that strain the medieval center, while merchants anticipate strong business.
  • The surge builds on renewed pilgrimage to Assisi, including growing youth visits linked to newly canonized Carlo Acutis, whose tomb in another church has become a major draw.