Saint Francis Of Assisi's Relics To Be Put On Public Display For First Time In Italy

Last Updated:February 22, 2026, 19:17 IST

St Francis of Assisi's skeleton is publicly displayed for the first time in 800 years at Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, attracting nearly 4,00,000 visitors.

For the first time, Saint Francis of Assisi’s skeleton was put on display for the public on Sunday, marking 800th anniversary of his death.

According to AFP, the skeleton has been placed inside a nitrogen-filled plexiglass case with the Latin inscription “Corpus Sancti Francisci" (The Body of St Francis). It is being shown in the Italian hill town’s Basilica of St Francis of Assisi.

St Francis was the founder of Franciscan order after renouncing his wealth and devoting his life to the poor. He died on October 3, 1226. The remains, which were transferred to the basilica built in the saint’s honour in 1230, were finally discovered in 1818 in an excavation that was reportedly carried out in complete secrecy.

It will be on display until March 22. Till now, the remains have been displayed only once in 1978 to a very limited public and for one day.

AFP quoted Giulio Cesareo, director of communications for the Franciscan convent in Assisi, saying that he hoped the display could be “a meaningful experience" for believers and non-believers alike.

He further said the “damaged" and “consumed" state of the bones revealed that St Francis “gave himself completely" to his life’s work.

According to AFP, the transparent case, usually hidden from view, 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 kept inside another bullet-proof and anti-burglary glass case. Despite this, it will be under surveillance cameras 24 hours a day for extra protection.

AFP quoted Marco Moroni, guardian of the Franciscan convent saying that reservations to see the saint’s remains have already amounted to “almost 400,000 (people) coming from all parts of the world, with of course a clear predominance from Italy".

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