Italy restores 4 October national holiday for 800th anniversary of Saint Francis

Restoration of 4 October public holiday

The Italian government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has enacted legislation declaring 4 October a permanent nationwide public holiday in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. The measure marks a return to an observance that was previously celebrated across Italy between 1958 and 1977, when the holiday was eliminated under earlier legislative reforms. Meloni justified the reinstatement by describing Francis as a beloved saint in whom the entire Italian population recognizes its shared cultural and spiritual identity. The decision to introduce the holiday on a permanent basis has also drawn attention from political observers, who note that Italy is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections next year, potentially in October. Meloni emphasized that the annual holiday should serve as a unifying national occasion.

The national holiday will be an opportunity to celebrate an extraordinary man and remind us every year of who we are and what unites us at our core.

Commemorating 800 years since the death of Saint Francis

The legislative declaration aligns with the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis, who was born in 1181 or 1182 and died in 1226. Francis founded the Franciscan Order and remains among the most widely recognized and revered saints in the Catholic Church. According to surviving records, the mendicant friar passed away on the evening of 3 October 1226. Because traditional Catholic ecclesiastical reckoning assigns the evening hours to the following calendar day, the church marks 4 October as his official day of death and liturgical feast. To commemorate the eighth centenary, Pope Leo XIV officially proclaimed a dedicated Francis Year, encouraging pilgrims and religious visitors from around the world to travel to the saint's resting place in Umbria.

Exhibition of relics and pilgrimage surge

At the center of the commemorations stands the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, which houses the saint's tomb and ranks among the most popular pilgrimage destinations in the world. The papal jubilee designation has significantly increased attendance in the town, drawing 400,000 visitors during February and March alone. During those two months, church authorities placed the mortal remains of Saint Francis on public exhibition for the first time in several centuries. The elevated attendance follows a previous year in which official municipal statistics recorded 1.7 million overnight guests in Assisi. When day excursionists are included, total visits were estimated at five million people.

Local economy and town atmosphere

The sustained flow of tourists and pilgrims provides a key economic foundation for Assisi, a municipality of 27,500 residents situated in central Italy's Umbria region, approximately a three-hour drive from Rome. Along the Via San Francesco, living statues dressed in brown habits alongside white doves mimic the saint and entertain passersby until they wink to reveal themselves as street performers. Local hoteliers, restaurateurs, and retail shop owners derive steady revenue from the continuous influx of travelers. Antonio Minzolini, an Assisi artist who sells his paintings in his own storefront in the town center, stated that he owes everything in his life and career to Saint Francis, reflecting the friar's enduring importance to the local community.