Elena Mutinelli creates bronze sculpture for St. Francis anniversary

Artist Elena Mutinelli has created a two-and-a-half-meter bronze sculpture titled ‘Nacque al mondo un Sole’ to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. The work is part of the ‘Sculture – Nuovi segni’ project, which aims to interpret the saint's spiritual legacy through contemporary art across various Italian cities.

Mutinelli’s sculpture was selected as a special gift to be presented in a private audience to Pope Leo XIV by the National Committee for the celebrations. The bronze piece is scheduled to arrive in Lampedusa in November 2026. The artist’s creative process focused on iconographic elements such as the angelic wing to represent a spiritual guiding force.