Francis. The Casentino, the Assisi Codices, and Iconography

An exhibition event for the eighth Franciscan centenary

The year 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, and the Municipality of Poppi, in the heart of the Casentino area near Arezzo, celebrates the occasion with a major exhibition hosted in the halls of the Castello dei Conti Guidi. Titled Francis. The Casentino, the Assisi Codices, and Iconography, the exhibition is open from June 14 to October 4, 2026, offering a journey into Franciscan spirituality and art through testimonies of the highest historical and artistic value.

The Rilliana Codices: treasures of Assisi kept in the Casentino

The core of the exhibition is the exceptional display of manuscripts preserved in the Biblioteca Rilliana of Poppi, medieval codices of inestimable value originally from the Sacro Convento of Assisi. These precious documents recount the transmission of the Franciscan spiritual and cultural heritage and constitute one of the most significant collections related to the figure of the Poverello d'Assisi preserved in Tuscany.

The iconography of Saint Francis through the centuries

Alongside the codices, an exhibition path is dedicated to the evolution of the saint's iconography, told through paintings, objects, and works also sourced from private collections. Visitors can thus follow how the figure of Francis has been represented and reinterpreted over the centuries, eventually becoming one of the most universal symbols of Italian and European culture.

A widespread itinerary in the Casentino

The exhibition does not end within the castle walls: the itinerary extends to other places of spirituality in the area, in particular the Convento dei Cappuccini in Ponte a Poppi and the Camaldoli Monastery complex, with its "Odoardo Baroncini" Library. This creates a widespread route that invites visitors to discover the Franciscan and monastic sites of the Casentino, in the Province of Arezzo.

Curators and promoters

The initiative is curated by Dom Claudio Ubaldo Cortoni OSB Cam., Michel Scipioni, and Francesco Traversi. The exhibition is promoted by the Municipality of Poppi together with Mazzafirra Arts & Culture and the Camaldoli Monastic Community, with the patronage of the Tuscany Region and the Municipality of Chiusi della Verna, and the collaboration of the Fondazione Camaldoli Cultura, the Tuscan Province of the Capuchin Friars Minor, and the Fraternità della Verna.

Why visit

• A unique opportunity to admire the Assisi Codices kept in Poppi during the year of the eighth Franciscan centenary.
• The extraordinary setting of the Castello dei Conti Guidi, a symbol of the Casentino and medieval Tuscany.
• An itinerary that combines art, faith, and landscape between Poppi, the Capuchins, and Camaldoli.