On October 4th, at Assisi, the celebrations for the feast of Saint Francis, Patron Saint of Italy, began with a life-size projection of Cimabue's Sail of Saint Matthew inside the Basilica of St. Francis, attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli. The year 2026 marks the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis. The ceremonies will start with the official inauguration at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Porziuncola in early January 2026. The program was presented on October 2nd by the "National Committee for the Eighth Centenary 1226-2026"; a few days prior, Parliament had decided to reinstate the National Holiday of October 4th in honor of Italy's Patron Saint. The celebrations will be accompanied by the display of Saint Francis' mortal remains from February 22nd to March 22nd, 2026. His relics will be moved from the tomb in the crypt and placed at the foot of the papal altar in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis.