A long line of pilgrims and visitors waited on Sunday to view the remains of Saint Francis of Assisi outside his namesake basilica in the central Italian town of Assisi.
For the first time in nearly eight centuries, the general public can see the remains of one of the Catholic Church’s best-known saints. The patron saint of Italy’s remains had rested in a stone sarcophagus for centuries; on Saturday the coffin was transferred from the crypt to the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
The public display runs for one month, ending on March 22. The Franciscan Order says nearly 400,000 people from around the world have registered to attend. Apart from previous exhumations for inspection and scientific study, Saint Francis’ bones were displayed only once before—to a very limited group for one day in 1978.
Francis of Assisi, born around 1181, founded the Franciscan Order after renouncing his wealth and dedicating his life to helping the poor. After his death his coffin was buried in a hidden location; in 1818 Pope Pius VII allowed the Franciscans to uncover the tomb and a new crypt was built in the lower church for the sarcophagus.
To mark the 800th anniversary of his death, the remains are placed in a plexiglass case near the altar of the lower church, and visitors are permitted to touch the outer case. Celebrations in Italy will continue after the display ends; October 4, St. Francis’ feast day, was reinstated as a public holiday last year and will come into effect in 2026.
Edited by: Kieran Burke