When is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi?
The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (San Francesco d'Assisi) is a public holiday in Italy, observed on October 4th. If October 4th falls on a weekend, the holiday does not move.
History of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
The feast day was a public holiday in Italy until 1977, when it was removed as part of a law reducing the number of holidays for economic reasons.
In advance of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis in 2026, two combined bills (Noi Moderati and Fratelli d'Italia) were proposed in 2025 to reinstate the October 4th holiday.
On October 1st 2025, the Italian senate gave final approval to the bill after it had passed in the lower house the previous week week with 247 votes in favour and just two against.
The bill, backed by the ruling right-wing parties, calls for cultural initiatives dedicated to Italy's patron saint and the values he embodied: peace, fraternity, inclusion and environmental protection.
Who was St Francis of Assisi?
One of the Catholic Church's most venerated saints, Francis of Assisi is one of Italy's two primary patron saints along with Catherine of Siena.
Francis was born to a wealthy merchant family in 1181 but, after a dramatic conversion experience, he abandoned his privileged lifestyle to embrace a life of poverty, preaching and service.
He is best known for founding the Franciscan religious order and is most associated with Assisi where his tomb is visited by pilgrims from all over the world every year.
Francis viewed nature as a mirror of God, calling all creatures his brothers and sisters.
His profound love for animals and his advocacy for peace and simplicity have made him a revered figure.
Francis was canonised by Pope Gregory IX on July 16th 1228, less than two years after his death on October 3rd 1226.
St. Francis of Assisi has been mythologized and embraced as a national hero and symbol of Italian identity, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries. His image as a pious, humble, and deeply connected individual to the land and its people resonated with the emerging Italian nation.
St. Francis of Assisi is often called the "first Italian" because he is considered one of the founders of Italian literature and a pivotal figure in the development of the Italian language. While he was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, his father nicknamed him "Francesco" or "the Frenchman," as a tribute to his successful cloth merchant business in France. St. Francis's most significant contribution to the Italian language is his religious poem, "The Canticle of the Sun," also known as the "Canticle of the Creatures."
