On Saturday, February 21, at 12:00PM, a press conference will be held in the Press Room of the Sacred Convent. At 4:00PM, the celebration of Vespers will take place, preceded by the transfer of the relics. Following the celebration, accredited journalists will have the opportunity to participate in an exclusive guided experience.
With a little less than one month to go until the first-ever public and extended exposition, 350,000 pilgrims from around the world have already booked their visit to Assisi to venerate the mortal remains of Saint Francis. The event will take place in the lower church of the Basilica between February 22 and March 22. The press conference to present the initiative will be held on Saturday, February 21, at 12:00PM in the Press Room of the Sacred Convent.
friar Marco Moroni, OFMConv, Custos of the Sacred Convent, and friar Giulio Cesareo, OFMConv, Director of the Sacred Convent’s Communications Office, will present one of the most significant and highly anticipated events to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’ death. The presentation will be moderated by television host Lorena Bianchetti.
During the press conference, the collaboration between the Sacred Convent and Rai will be illustrated, in particular with the Rai1 program A Sua Immagine. For the occasion, the program will feature an extended special edition with a live broadcasting of the religious celebration. On Saturdays, since January 17, A Sua Immagine has already been airing a Franciscan focus from Assisi in the lead-up to the event in collaboration with friar Giulio and other friars from the Franciscan sanctuaries.
During the press conference, the February number of the magazine San Francesco Patrono d’Italia will also be officially unveiled. This special 160-page monographic edition is entirely dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi and will be available in both print and digital formats starting February 1, 2026. Designed as a true collector’s item, this unique issue stands out for both its content and craftsmanship. It features contributions from leading contemporary Franciscan scholars, a high-quality paperback binding, and a silk-screened cover image.
At 4:00PM on Saturday, February 21, the celebration will be attended exclusively by Franciscan friars. The service will be preceded by the transfer of the reliquary containing the mortal remains of Saint Francis from the crypt to the lower church with a procession that will conclude at the main altar.
Attendance at the celebration is by invitation only, but it will be broadcasted live on Rai1 as part of A Sua Immagine program. Commentary on the event, led by Lorena Bianchetti and special guests – among them the father Custos of the Sacred Convent himself friar Marco Moroni – will be exceptionally hosted from the Sixtus IV Cloister of the Sacred Convent.
The press conference will be streamed live on the YouTube channel @SanFrancescoAssisi. The link will only be available to accredited journalists, who will receive it according to the instructions below.
NOTE TO THE PRESS
Accredited journalists for the February 21 press conference will have the opportunity to enter the lower church and see the relics following the celebration, approximately at 7:00PM, depending on the time required to prepare the Basilica.
To request accreditation, please complete the form at the following link by no later than 5:00PM on February 19: https://forms.gle/r7udc449yfUb6FKD8
For security and event management reasons, accreditation requests submitted through other means or after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
Press passes must be collected without exception prior to the press conference. Only journalists wearing the pass will be granted access to the Basilica to approach the relics of Saint Francis accompanied by the staff of the Press Office of the Sacred Convent.
The Press Room of the Sacred Convent will be accessible to accredited journalists throughout the day on February 21, starting at 9:00AM.
From February 22 to March 22, weekly 15-minute time slots will be scheduled for crews and journalists to enter the Basilica for filming. These slots will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2:00PM to 3:00PM. An area dedicated to the press will also be set up for interviews with any pilgrims, near the tent where people prepare to enter the Basilica for veneration.
To respect the pilgrims in the Basilica and allow them to fully experience the veneration, interviews will not be allowed inside the Basilica, neither the use of bulky equipment, additional lighting nor drones.
Reservations of these time slots can only be made through the dedicated section on the website saintfrancisliveson.org, with each crew allowed a 15-minute slot.
Journalists who register for the press conference on February 21 will receive an email with the link to book time slots during which filming will be allowed.
Journalists who cannot come to Assisi to attend the press conference will also be able to accreditate and receive the link to watch live the press conference.
MEDIA PRESS KIT: https://bit.ly/MEDIA_PRESS_KIT
