Saint Francis of Assisi: 800th anniversary of his death marked in Assisi and Italy

Saint Francis of Assisi died on the night of October 3 to 4, 1226, in the Porziuncola chapel near Assisi, in the Italian region of Umbria. Eight hundred years later, October 4, 2026 is being observed as both his annual feast day and the anniversary of his death, with commemorations in Italy and at the Vatican.

What is happening in 2026

As part of the 800th anniversary commemorations, the saint's remains were removed from the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi and placed at the foot of the papal altar in the lower church for public veneration from February 22 to March 22, 2026, according to Vatican News — the first time his body has been displayed for an extended period. The outlet reported that the display drew between roughly 15,000 and 18,000 visitors a day, with total attendance estimated at around 370,000.

The main anniversary events were scheduled for October 3-4, 2026, in Assisi, according to EWTN News. Attendees were expected to include Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi of Bologna, and papal legate Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime. A solemn Mass was planned for October 4, and the program included the "Transitus" ceremony that recalls Francis's final hours, plus a traditional procession at the Porziuncola. Related commemorations were set to run from September 24 to October 5.

According to EWTN News, Bishop Felice Accrocca, the newly appointed bishop of Assisi, said Francis's radical reading of the Gospel and his vision of a society built on peace and fraternity continue to draw people from many countries and cultures today.

Italy's national holiday and commemorative stamps

October 4 has been reinstated as a national holiday in Italy, according to Sky TG24. In 2026 the date falls on a Sunday, which affects payroll: employees are entitled to compensation for an "unenjoyed festivity," with simulations cited by Sky TG24 showing additional net pay of roughly 39 to 53 euros depending on contract and sector. Employers must apply the holiday even where collective labour contracts have not yet been formally updated, the outlet reported, covering sectors including retail, metalworking, crafts, professional offices and hospitality.

Italy's Ministry of Business and Made in Italy (MIMIT) presented two commemorative stamps on October 2, 2026, at the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis in Assisi, in a joint issuance with Vatican City State, the Republic of San Marino and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. According to the ministry's statement, the State Printing Office produced 200,025 stamps featuring a detail from a Giotto fresco and 300,027 stamps depicting the Canticle of the Creatures in a modern illustrative style.

The roots of his lasting influence

Francis founded the Franciscan religious order after renouncing his family's wealth, and he is credited with the Canticle of the Creatures, a poem praising the sun, moon, water and other elements of nature as siblings within a shared creation.

That theme was drawn on directly by Pope Francis, who took the saint's name upon his election and titled his 2015 encyclical on the environment and poverty "Laudato Si'," a phrase from the Canticle meaning "Praise be to you." In the encyclical, published on the Vatican's official website, Francis referred to the medieval friar as a patron of those who study and work in ecology, and presented him as a model for what the document calls "integral ecology," linking care for nature to concern for the poor.

Key facts

• Died: night of October 3–4, 1226, at the Porziuncola, near Assisi, Italy
• Feast day / anniversary observed: October 4
• Relic public display: February 22 – March 22, 2026, lower church of the Basilica of Saint Francis
• 2026 Italian commemorative stamps: 200,025 (Giotto fresco design) and 300,027 (Canticle of the Creatures design)