St. Francis’ Remains Displayed Publicly for First Time in Italian Pilgrimage Town

The skeletal remains of St. Francis of Assisi are being exhibited to the public for the first time ever in a month-long display commemorating 800 years since his death. Nearly half a million pilgrims are expected to visit the Italian hilltop town, creating both economic opportunities and logistical challenges for residents.

ASSISI, Italy (AP) — For the first time in history, the skeletal remains of St. Francis of Assisi are being exhibited publicly, drawing massive crowds to the medieval Italian town that bears his name. The unprecedented display marks 800 years since the beloved friar’s passing and has already attracted nearly 400,000 registered visitors.

The month-long exhibition presents both opportunities and challenges for Assisi’s Mayor Valter Stoppini, local residents, and the Franciscan brothers overseeing the event. Officials predict visitor numbers could reach half a million before the sacred remains return to their resting place on March 22.

City officials have mobilized 400 volunteers to guide the massive crowds through Assisi’s narrow cobblestone pathways to the lower Basilica of St. Francis, where the bones rest within a bulletproof glass enclosure.

The prolonged event will strain the historic city center’s infrastructure, with its cramped souvenir-lined alleys and basic amenities. Local residents, accustomed to periodic pilgrim surges lasting only days, face a month-long test of endurance.

“We’re used to this kind of event, but that lasts for one, two or three days,” Stoppini said. “This is something prolonged, for a month, so I’m a bit worried, but calm.”

Perched on an Umbrian hillside, Assisi already ranks among Christianity’s premier pilgrimage sites worldwide. The town’s distinctive pink limestone construction creates a magical luminescence, particularly during evening hours.

Each year, millions journey here to visit St. Francis’ burial site and the magnificent basilica above it, adorned with Giotto’s masterful frescoes depicting the saint’s remarkable life story.

Born into prosperity in 1182, St. Francis abandoned his family’s wealth to embrace poverty as a wandering monk, following what he described as a divine calling to restore and reform the Catholic Church.

His enduring legacy centers on messages of peace, environmental stewardship, and compassion for society’s most vulnerable members — principles that profoundly influenced Pope Francis, who became the first pontiff to adopt the saint’s name.

Though Franciscan monks have periodically examined St. Francis’ remains for preservation purposes throughout history, this marks their inaugural public presentation.

Religious leaders explain the decision to remove the remains from their crypt and welcome pilgrims serves to perpetuate his spiritual teachings while offering believers an intimate prayer experience.

Mayor Stoppini indicated that one month represents the maximum duration his community could reasonably accommodate, given the city already experienced substantial pilgrim increases during 2025.

While St. Francis remains Assisi’s primary draw, a newly canonized saint is attracting younger generations of faithful visitors: Carlo Acutis, whom Pope Leo XIV declared the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint following his canonization last year.

Acutis, who succumbed to leukemia at just 15 years old, lies buried in a separate Assisi basilica. His extraordinary appeal among young Latin American Catholics has transformed the town into a major destination for Catholic youth organizations touring Italy.

“When we go out onto the piazza, we find many people who ask us ‘Where’s Carlo? Where’s Carlo?'” said Brother Marco Moroni, the custodian of the convent of St. Francis.

Pilgrim numbers jumped 30% last year alone, likely reflecting both Acutis’ canonization and the Holy Year celebration that brought 33 million visitors to Rome, many continuing their journey to Assisi.

“The beautiful thing is that saints don’t go to war against one another, thanks be to God,” he added.

“Many who come to the basilica go to see Carlo, and many who go to Carlo Acutis come to the basilica, creating an osmosis and a growing movement that does though create some problems for the city.”

Local souvenir vendors, whose livelihoods depend on religious tourism and pilgrim traffic to the scenic community, welcome the extended event duration.

“Other people will see what we see every day,” with Francis’ spirit imbuing the town, said shopkeeper Arianna Catarinelli, who works in a souvenir shop in the main drag of town leading to the basilica.

Her store stocks Assisi-branded clothing, pens featuring Acutis’ photograph, St. Francis-themed coffee cups, and brightly colored rosaries.

“For residents, finding parking isn’t easy. But for businesses, I think it’s positive that there are so many people,” she said.

To manage the visitor surge, municipal authorities established additional parking facilities beyond the city center and implemented shuttle transportation into town.

Local resident Riccardo Bacconi, employed at a neighborhood bank branch, expressed hope that the temporary parking additions will become permanent fixtures that continue benefiting residents long-term.

Following his Saturday morning exercise routine, Bacconi recognized that tourism drives the town’s economy and anyone choosing to live there must accept the accompanying challenges.

“I don’t judge it negatively, economically it’s important,” he said. “There are more advantages than disadvantages.”