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Arezzo: the relic of the Saio of San Francesco will be exhibited in Anghiari.

A fragment of the relic of the habit worn by Saint Francis will be permanently exhibited at the Santa Croce church in Anghiari.

Arezzo: the relic of the Saio of San Francesco will be exhibited in Anghiari.

This was announced yesterday, Wednesday 4 October 2023, on the occasion of the celebrations of Saint Francis, Patron Saint of Italy, which took place at the Sanctuary of La Verna, was Bishop Monsignor Andrea Migliavacca, Bishop of the Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro: “I am very happy that this precious relic is reaching Anghiari because it is a particularly spiritual wealth and of possible devotion to Saint Francis – says the bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro Andrea Migliavacca -. It is a great enrichment for the community and the parish of Anghiari. The new location will allow both custody and prayer and the encounter with the testimony of Saint Francis. In this regard, I thank Don Alessandro Bivignani, the parish, the Barbolani family and the congregation of the Sisters of the Cenacle, who with their various responsibilities made this presence possible. Furthermore, the arrival of the relics takes place in the year in which we are preparing to experience the 800 years of the stigmata of Saint Francis, therefore an even greater richness".

The President of the Province of Arezzo as well as Mayor of the Municipality of Anghiari Alessandro Polcri declares: “The figure of Saint Francis of Assisi is an important figure in the spiritual history of the Church and the distinctive features of his charisma cross the whole world, and there are numerous Franciscan presences in our provincial territory. I learn with joy from the words of Bishop Monsignor Andrea Migliavacca, right here at the Sanctuary of La Verna, a unique place steeped in mysticism and religion, where Saint Francis spent some periods of his short existence, that in Anghiari at the Santa Croce church he will be kept the precious relic of the Saint's habit. During his travels from Assisi to the Sanctuary of La Verna, Saint Francis used to make a stop at the Montauto Castle in Anghiari, guest of Count Alberto di Guglielmino. A deep friendship was born between the two, which constituted one of the most important events in the family of the Count of Montauto. On 30 September 1224, Francis of Assisi, after having experienced the stigmata, set off from Mount Verna again and arrived in Montauto in the evening. During the night, according to tradition, the women of the castle wove a dress with a new fabric taken from Sansepolcro and donated it to the Saint, who in exchange received the old habit, a precious testimony of the stigmata. The life of St. Francis and the strength of the Franciscan message have always represented an example to follow and an important reference regardless of whether one is Christian or not.

An inspirational figure for those who fight for peace, social justice, solidarity, and to preserve our common home; that of the environment where we live, underlining and renewing the message of the Saint. It is therefore extraordinary to be able to welcome, guard and display the relic of the Saint in the city of Anghiari. I would like to thank His Excellency Mons. Andrea Migliavacca Bishop of the Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, Don Alessandro Bivignani Parish Priest of the Pastoral Unit of Anghiari, for the sensitivity they have shown and for having contributed to this further moment of great spirituality, which I am sure will strengthen our entire provincial community, because the dialogue between different cultures it is one of the biggest challenges we face.”

Don Alessandro Bivignani of the Pastoral Unit of Anghiari declares:
“We are truly happy for this historic event, which will characterize Anghiari as a point of Franciscan spirituality. Saint Francis passed through here and we would like his message to continue to live on. The Church of the Cross is the place where the fragment of St. Francis' habit will reside. A church built by Bartolomeo of the family of the Magi of Anghiari, today Blessed for the Franciscan Order, where together with the mortal remains of the Blessed, an ideal friendship with Saint Francis will be recomposed, placing the relic of the habit here in a permanent way. I join in President Polcri's thanks, as well as thanking the Barbolani family to whom Saint Francis left his habit; thanks to the congregation of the Cenacolo nuns who have kept the fragment of the habit in safekeeping since the 60s. Finally, the hope that Anghiari and the entire Province can become and be more and more, a place of Franciscan spirituality, that through the relic of the habit there can be a renewal of faith of our parish communities."

Arezzo: la reliquia del Saio di San Francesco sarà esposta ad Anghiari.

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