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Saint Francis of Assisi’s skeleton goes on public display for first time
#Saint Francis of Assisi#Relics display#800th anniversary#Basilica of Saint Francis#Catholicism#Religious tourism#Skeleton exhibition
📌 Key Takeaways
Saint Francis of Assisi's skeleton is on public display for the first time
The remains are housed in a nitrogen-filled plexiglass case for preservation
Hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world are expected to view the relics
The display marks the 800th anniversary of the saint's death
📖 Full Retelling
Saint Francis of Assisi's skeleton will go on full public display for the first time in the Italian hillside town's Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi starting Sunday, in a move expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the 13th-century saint's death. Inside a nitrogen-filled plexiglass case with the Latin inscription 'Corpus Sancti Francisci' (the body of Saint Francis), the remains are being shown to the public after centuries of being hidden from view. St Francis, who died on October 3, 1226, founded the Franciscan order after renouncing his wealth and devoting his life to the poor, making him one of Christianity's most revered figures. The skeleton, which will be on display until March 22, was transferred to the basilica built in the saint's honor in 1230 but was only rediscovered in 1818 after secret excavations. Prior to this current display, the bones had only been shown once before, in 1978, to a very limited audience for just one day. The Franciscan authorities have implemented extensive security measures, including 24-hour surveillance cameras and multiple protective glass cases, to safeguard the precious relics. The exhibition is expected to significantly boost tourism in the usually quiet town, with weekday visitors projected to increase from the typical 1,000 to 15,000, and weekend numbers rising from 4,000 to up to 19,000. In recognition of the significance of the occasion, Italy will reinstate a public holiday on October 4 to mark the 800th anniversary commemorations of the saint's death.
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (c. 1181–3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Christian life of poverty, he became a beggar and an itinerant preacher.
The Catholic Church (Latin: Ecclesia Catholica), commonly known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian denomination, with an estimated 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide as of 2025. One of the world's oldest continuously functioning institutions, it has played a formativ...
Travel to religious sites, whether spiritual or sightseeing
Religious tourism, spiritual tourism, sacred tourism, or faith tourism, is a type of tourism with two main subtypes: pilgrimage, meaning travel for religious or spiritual purposes, and the viewing of religious monuments and artefacts, a branch of sightseeing.
Saint Francis of Assisi’s skeleton goes on public display for first time Hundreds of thousands of visitors expected for month-long display of remains of 13th-century saint Saint Francis of Assisi’s skeleton is going on full public display from Sunday for the first time, in a move that is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. Inside a nitrogen-filled plexiglass case with the Latin inscription “Corpus Sancti Francisci” (the body of Saint Francis), the remains are being shown in the Italian hillside town’s Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. St Francis, who died on 3 October 1226, founded the Franciscan order after renouncing his wealth and devoting his life to the poor. Giulio Cesareo, the director of communications for the Franciscan convent in Assisi, said he hoped the display could be “a meaningful experience” for believers and non-believers alike. Cesareo, a Franciscan friar, said the “damaged” and “consumed” state of the bones showed that St Francis “gave himself completely” to his life’s work. His remains, which will be on display until 22 March, were transferred to the basilica built in the saint’s honour in 1230. But it was only in 1818, after excavations carried out in utmost secrecy, that his tomb was rediscovered. Apart from previous exhumations for inspection and scientific examination, the bones of Saint Francis have only been displayed once, in 1978, to a very limited audience and for only one day. Usually hidden from view, the transparent case containing the relics since 1978 was brought out on Saturday from the metal coffer in which it is kept inside his stone tomb in the crypt of the basilica. The case is itself inside another bullet-proof and anti-burglary glass case. Surveillance cameras will operate 24 hours a day for added protection of the remains. Saint Francis is Italy’s patron saint and a public holiday is to be reinstated on 4 October to mark the 800th anniversary commemorations of his death. Reservations to see the saint’s rem...
