Celebrations in Honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Italy

Greccio, the village of the first Nativity Scene

Clinging to the rock face above the Sacred Valley of Rieti, the town of Greccio (province of Rieti, Lazio) is one of the most profound sites in the Italian Franciscan landscape. Here, on Christmas Eve 1223, Saint Francis of Assisi chose to represent the birth of Jesus for the first time with a manger, an ox, and a donkey: thus, the first Nativity scene in history was born. Eight centuries later, the Franciscan Sanctuary carved into the cliff continues to welcome pilgrims from all over the world, and the Celebrations in honor of Saint Francis, Patron Saint of Italy are its most attended event of the year alongside Christmas.

Four days of liturgy and community

The festival typically takes place around October 4th, the solemnity of the Patron Saint of Italy. It opens on October 2nd with the unveiling of the ancient image of the Saint and continues with morning Holy Masses and evening prayer meetings, bringing together the friars' fraternity, local confraternities, and the village residents. It is a slow rhythm, marked by silence, hymns, and walking along the village streets: those who arrive for the first time immediately understand why Greccio is considered a "second Assisi".

The torchlight procession and the Transitus

The emotional heart of the festival is the evening of October 4th. After sunset, the torchlight procession organized by the Fraternity of Greccio sets off from Piazza Roma and winds up the slope to the Nativity Sanctuary: a river of light that traces the mountainside and is visible from the entire valley. Upon arrival, the Transitus of Saint Francis is celebrated, commemorating the Saint's death on the evening of October 3rd, 1226, accompanied by the Sanctuary's choir, "Piccoli Amici del Presepe". The evening concludes with a tasting offered by the organizing committee, reflecting a hospitality that is never merely formal.

The procession in the woods

The following Sunday is the most solemn day. Morning Holy Masses are followed in the afternoon by the arrival of the marching band and the procession in the woods, which crosses the chestnut grove around the Sanctuary with the participation of civil, military, and religious authorities, the Mayors of the Province of Rieti, and towns twinned with Greccio. The solemn Eucharistic celebration, presided over by the Bishop of Rieti, concludes the liturgical part. Then the festival shifts gears: porchetta, a charity raffle, moments of sharing, and finally the fireworks display that illuminates the sky above the valley.

The Day of Giving

October 4th also coincides with the Day of Giving, the Italian civil observance dedicated to the culture of generosity and volunteering, which finds a particularly fitting context in Greccio, consistent with the Franciscan message. In recent years, the date has served as an opportunity for meetings, testimonials, and solidarity initiatives promoted in collaboration with local associations in the Rieti area.

A special year: the Eighth Centenary

The year 2026 marks eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis. A Franciscan jubilee year accompanies the entire period, and October 4th returns to being a national holiday in Italy: extraordinary attention that concerns Assisi but also all the sanctuaries of the Sacred Valley, including Greccio. Those planning a visit during this period should expect higher-than-average crowds and check the program published by the Municipality and the Sanctuary well in advance.

What to see nearby

• Franciscan Sanctuary of Greccio: the Nativity chapel, the friars' choir, and the dormitory of Saint Bonaventure.
• The village of Greccio: medieval alleys, the International Nativity Museum, and views over the Rieti plain.
• The other sanctuaries of the Sacred Valley: Fonte Colombo, La Foresta, and Poggio Bustone, connected by a Franciscan pilgrimage route.