Bones of St Francis of Assisi go on display for the first time – here’s why it took 800 years
St Francis of Assisi, who founded the Franciscan order, is one of Catholicism’s most revered saints. After Christ and the Virgin Mary, he is the most depicted figure within Catholic art, literature and film.
The patron saint of the environment, St Francis is best known for his love of animals and the natural world. Famously, he preached to the birds and referred to all creatures – including the stars and planets – as his beloved “brothers and sisters”.
When Francis died in 1226, fears that his body would be stolen meant that it was placed in an iron cage and buried so deep beneath the basilica in Assisi, Italy, that its whereabouts remained a mystery for 600 years. Aside from his fame for miracles and holiness, and subsequent canonisation in 1228, the reason Francis’s body was hidden was what it contained.
Two years before his death, it is said Francis experienced a vision of a crucified Seraphim (a six-winged angel) which marked his body with the stigmata – the wounds of the crucified Christ. The first recorded case of stigmata, medieval sources tell us that unlike later stigmatics, Francis did not just have holes in his hands and feet, but rather growths resembling nails.
St Francis’s earliest biographer Thomas of Celano wrote: “His hands and his feet seemed to be pierced by nails, the heads of the nails appearing on the insides of his hands and the upper side of his feet, and their points protruding on the other side … [His torso] was scarred as if it had been pierced by a spear, and it often seeped blood.”
Finding the the missing body
Numerous efforts to locate St Francis’s body over the centuries all failed. In 1818, though, excavations deep within the basilica’s foundations finally revealed the iron cage and the simple coffin containing the saint’s bones.
These were examined by ecclesial and scientific authorities which affirmed their authenticity. The last time the bones were examined was in 1978, when they were placed inside a nitrogen-filled perspex box to aid their preservation. An underground chapel was constructed to allow pilgrims to see St Francis’ tomb, though crucially not the bones themselves.
To commemorate the 800th anniversary of his death – known as the transitus – St Francis’s remains will go on extended display for the first time. From February 22 to March 22 2026, the perspex box containing his bones will rest at the foot of the main altar in the basilica in Assisi.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected to come and see the bones, with their display opening a year-long series of events – both in Assisi and around the world – honouring the anniversary. The date itself falls on October 4 2026.
The 800th anniversary also marks a moment of national celebration for Italy. Giorgia Meloni welcomed the Vatican’s decision to allow the remains to go on display, noting that, “St Francis is one of the foundational figures of Italian identity”.
St Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures – a hymn which he composed as he lay dying – is one of the earliest works of Italian literature, with the oldest surviving copy being found in a 790-year-old manuscript housed in the Franciscan convent in Assisi.
The legacy of a much-loved saint
St Francis’s teachings have exerted a profound impact on modern Catholicism, particularly its teaching on the environment.
Pope Francis – who took the name in honour of the Italian saint – made the Canticle of the Creatures the cornerstone of his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si. The Catholic church’s first “green encyclical”, it praised the natural world as our “beautiful mother” and affirmed the church’s commitment to promoting environmental justice.
Likewise, a major joint document issued last July by the bishops of Asia, Africa and South America drew heavily on St Francis’s thinking, rejecting what it called the “false solutions” advanced by many western governments to address the climate crisis.
At the press conference marking the document’s publication, one of its authors, the Franciscan Cardinal Jaime Spengler, said: “From the heart of the Amazon, we hear a cry: how can we allow a market without ethical regulations decide the fate of the planet’s most vital ecosystems?”
When St Francis’ bones go on display, they will serve as a powerful reminder not only of his enduring relevance for Catholic spirituality, but also the vital role he has played in helping the contemporary Catholic church to become one of the leading advocates for meaningful climate reform.
The bones of St Francis will be on display at the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, Umbria, Italy, from February 22 to March 22 2026
Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.
William Crozier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.