Italy celebrates 800th anniversary of Saint Francis with major cultural events

Italy is hosting a wide array of cultural, religious, and digital initiatives to commemorate the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi.

In Florence, the Bardi Chapel in the Basilica of Santa Croce has reopened following a four-year, million-euro restoration of Giotto’s frescoes depicting the life of Saint Francis. The project, led by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure and the Opera di Santa Croce, aimed to secure the paintings and restore their original brilliance.

In Assisi, celebrations include the launch of ‘Preserving Assisi,’ a digital platform featuring gigapixel photography and 3D scans to create a digital twin of the Basilica of Saint Francis for research and conservation. Local events such as the ‘Cortile di Francesco’ feature flower art workshops by Spello’s infioratori.

Other regional commemorations include religious festivities in Ragusa, cultural itineraries in Ascoli Piceno, and the ‘Pace e Bene’ exhibition in Sant’Eraclio. Additionally, a national exhibition titled ‘Le eccellenze italiane nel segno di Francesco’ will open in Rome, highlighting Italian restoration expertise and the ‘Made in Italy’ brand through the lens of Franciscan values.