Assisi Marks 800 Years Since the Death of St. Francis – Italy's Patron Saint
October 4 becomes a national holiday for the first time since 1977. President Mattarella addresses the nation as 18 regions and thousands of pilgrims gather in the Umbrian town.
Italy is marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy. Today, Sunday, October 4, is celebrated as a national holiday for the first time since 1977.
The town of Assisi is hosting a historic commemoration, bringing together all Italian regions and administrative centres for the first time. Eighteen regions and eighteen municipalities are represented. More than 3,000 pilgrims and tourists have arrived to take part in the celebrations, which will culminate in an address to the nation by President Sergio Mattarella from the loggia of the Sacro Convento monastery.
The day of prayer and celebration follows a precise programme that began at midnight on Saturday with the festive ringing of bells. At 6 a.m., a mass was celebrated by the Franciscan friars' community under the leadership of the Order's General Minister, Brother Carlos Alberto Trovarelli. At 6:50 a.m., special prayers were offered at the Tomb of the Saint.
President Mattarella is expected to arrive at around 9:45 a.m. for a solemn mass in the Upper Basilica, led by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi. During the service, in the presence of ambassadors and representatives of accredited states, the Umbria region will present oil, and the mayor of Assisi, Valter Stoppini, will light a votive lamp on behalf of all Italian municipalities. At 11:20 a.m., official speeches will follow. At noon, those gathered will be able to hear the Angelus prayer of Pope Leo XIV live on large screens in the square.
Beyond the official and religious ceremonies, significant cultural events have been organised, including an exhibition titled "San Francesco alla Porziuncola," open to visitors until October 25, 2026. The exhibition is housed in the Porziuncola Museum at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where a new entrance has been created for the jubilee, restoring the ancient 15th-century cloister that once served as a passage for monks.
The exhibition route, prepared by director Brother Saulo Tambini and Donatella Vaccari, offers visitors a deep immersion into Franciscan iconography from its origins in the 13th century. For the first time, the breviary of St. Francis and the breviary of St. Clare are displayed together in a single exhibition, highlighting the close connection between two key figures in the early history of the Franciscan movement.
Visitors can see paintings and relics, including the famous relic-portrait attributed to Cimabue — according to tradition, it was the lid of the Saint's first burial coffin — as well as the wooden plank on which Francis met his death while singing praise. Among the works on display, the Crucifix of the Suffering Christ, painted by Giunta Pisano around 1236, stands out.
The entire cycle of exhibitions and celebrations takes place within the Franciscan Jubilee Year, proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV, which began on January 10, 2026, and ends on January 10, 2027.
For now, Assisi is the centre of Italy's spiritual and cultural life. The bells have rung, the pilgrims have gathered, and the nation's president is addressing the country from the town where the saint who renounced wealth to embrace poverty was born. Eight hundred years after his death, Francis still speaks to Italy. And Italy, for at least one day, is listening.
Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com