Assisi and Monte Sant'Angelo reaffirm ties amid Franciscan ordination

On 26 June 2026 a delegation from Assisi—including Mayor Valter Stoppini and Bishop Felice Accrocca—traveled to Monte Sant'Angelo to renew the 2014 friendship pact between the two UNESCO‑listed cities. The ceremony marked the 800th anniversary of St Francis, with a commemorative epigraph placed in the sanctuary of the Archangel Michael. Both municipalities highlighted their shared spiritual and cultural heritage and pledged continued cooperation on tourism and preservation.

The following day, 27 June 2026, Fra Francesco Maria Sorice was ordained a priest in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi by Bishop Accrocca. His first Mass was celebrated on 28 June, and he is scheduled to celebrate another Mass in Ruvo di Puglia on 3 July. The ordination was presented as a continuation of the Franciscan renewal celebrated by the two towns.