St. Francis Remains on Public Display in Assisi for 800th Anniversary

In Assisi, Italy, the skeletal remains of St. Francis of Assisi went on public display for the first time in an extended period on February 22, 2026, drawing hundreds of pilgrims to the Basilica of St. Francis to venerate the 13th-century saint on the 800th anniversary of his death.

The bones, exhumed from a crypt beneath the basilica on February 21, were transferred in a solemn procession to the lower church, where they were placed in a nitrogen-filled, bulletproof plexiglass case lined with white silk. Franciscan friars, who organized the event, reported that nearly 400,000 people had registered in advance for time slots, with about 80 percent from Italy and others from countries including the United States, Brazil, and across Africa and Europe. To manage crowds, groups of up to 750 visitors enter every 30 minutes starting at 7 a.m., allowing about 1,500 people per hour. The display will continue until March 22, after which the remains will return to the crypt.

Pilgrims lined up early Sunday under a large white marquee, passing through metal detectors before viewing the relics near the altar. Many made the sign of the cross, knelt in prayer, or touched rosaries to the outer...