Bones of St Francis of Assisi go on public display in Italy

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 1 min read 100% complete February 22, 2026 at 06:49 PM

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short article 1 min

To mark the 800th anniversary of his death, the bones of St. Francis of Assisi are on public display in Assisi, Italy. The 13th-century skeleton is being exhibited at the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi until March 22nd. This is only the second time the saint's remains have been publicly viewed, the first being a limited viewing in 1978. Around 400,000 people have reserved a place to see the remains of St. Francis, a venerated figure who renounced wealth to serve the poor and founded the Franciscan order. He is also the patron saint of animals and the environment, and his life inspired the late Pope Francis.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Franciscans 40% Pope Francis 50% Basilica of St Francis of Assisi 60% Assisi ×370% Italy ×280% St Francis of Assisi ×5100%

Keywords

st francis of assisi 100% public display 80% bones 70% assisi 70% patron saint 60% christianity 50% basilica 50% religious relics 40% franciscans 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.20

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Italy

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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st francis of assisi public display bones assisi patron saint christianity basilica religious relics franciscans

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