Published on •Updated
This Sunday, 4 October, marks the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, Italy’s patron saint. From this year, and for the first time since 1977, 4 October once again becomes a national holiday.
To mark the occasion, the city of Assisi is celebrating this historic anniversary by exceptionally bringing together all of Italy’s Regions and provincial capital municipalities, with 18 Regions and just as many municipalities already represented.
More than 3,000 pilgrims and tourists have arrived in the city to take part in the celebrations, which culminate in an address to the Nation by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, from the loggia of the Sacred Convent.
Events to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis
The day of prayer and festivities follows a tightly scheduled programme that began at midnight on Saturday with the festive ringing of the bells. At 6.00 a.m. mass is celebrated for the community of friars, presided over by the Minister General, Friar Carlos Alberto Trovarelli, followed at 6.50 a.m. by the offering of prayers at the Saint’s Tomb.
The arrival of President Mattarella is expected by 9.45 a.m. for the solemn mass in the Upper Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi. During the celebration, attended also by ambassadors and representatives of accredited countries, Umbria will offer the oil and the mayor of Assisi, Valter Stoppini, will light the votive lamp on behalf of all Italian municipalities. This will be followed, at 11.20 a.m., by official speeches and, at noon, by the live broadcast of Pope Leo XIV’s Angelus prayer on the giant screens in the square.
Cultural initiatives linked to Saint Francis
Alongside the institutional and religious ceremonies, major cultural initiatives have been organised, starting with the exhibition “Saint Francis at the Porziuncola”, open to visitors until 25 October 2026.
The exhibition is hosted in the Porziuncola Museum at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, which for the occasion has created a new entrance by refurbishing the ancient 15th-century cloister, once a traditional passageway for the friars. This exhibition itinerary, curated by the director Friar Saul Tambini and Donatella Vaccari, offers visitors a profound immersion in Franciscan iconography from its origins in the 13th century.
For the first time, the exhibition brings together the breviary of Saint Francis and that of Saint Clare, highlighting the deep bond between these two key figures of the early Franciscan movement. Visitors can admire paintings and relics, such as the famous portrait-relic attributed to Cimabue, which tradition holds was the lid of the Saint’s first coffin, and the table on which Francis greeted death in song.
Among the works on display is also the Crucifix of the suffering Christ painted by Giunta Pisano around 1236. The entire cycle of exhibitions and celebrations forms part of the Franciscan Jubilee Year, proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV, which began on 10 January 2026 and is due to conclude on 10 January 2027.