An 800-year-old bloodstained cloth linked to the saint and a painted panel that covered his tomb are on show at St Mary’s Cathedral until 28 November.
Two relics of St Francis of Assisi have left Italy for the first time and gone on public display at St Mary’s Cathedral of the Assumption in San Francisco. One is a cloth stained with the blood of the 13th-century saint, held in a silver reliquary. The other is an Italo-Byzantine style painted panel that once covered his tomb. The exhibition runs through 28 November, and admission is free.
The relics
According to Catholic tradition, St Francis received the stigmata, the spontaneous bleeding that represents the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ, at La Verna in Italy after 40 days of fasting. He is believed to have used the crude bandage to staunch the blood. The cloth is therefore linked to one of the best-known mystical encounters recognised by Catholics. It is traditionally associated with his blood, but the material reviewed does not show that modern scientific testing has authenticated it.
The Church classes the cloth as a “second-class” relic, an item belonging to a saint, as opposed to direct remains. The fragmented kneecaps and ribs of St Bernadette Soubirous, which are also touring the US this year, are an example of the latter. The Catholic tradition of venerating relics dates back to AD 156.
The painted panel is a full-length image of St Francis, traditionally attributed to the painter Cenni di Pepo, better known as Cimabue. It shows him in the simple brown habit of the Friars Minor, with a golden halo, a book and the stigmata wounds. According to the exhibition catalogue, it dates from around 1290 and is tempera and gold on wood, 124.5cm tall and 41cm wide. It comes from the Museum of the Porziuncola in Assisi, and the cathedral says it served as a covering for his coffin. The attribution is traditional and not undisputed.
The wider exhibition
Other works on display include a painting of the Veil of St Clare of Assisi, Renaissance paintings by Dono Dori of The Stigmata of St Francis and Crucifixion of St Francis of Assisi, St Francis Watched Over by the Angels by an anonymous 17th-century painter, and St Francis by Adamo di Cladaro. The catalogue says some objects’ histories are still being examined. The Veil of St Clare is listed with a provisional identification, and the artist and date of the Adamo di Cladaro painting need further checking.
The cathedral is also showing 21 miniature replicas of California’s Spanish missions, made for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island. German cabinetmakers built them under the Italian artist Leon Bayard de Volo after two years of historical research. The Cline family saved them from auction in 1998, and Fred and Nancy Cline have loaned them.
Why now
Rarely seen remains of the saint were displayed this year at the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi to mark 800 years since his death, in a jubilee year declared by Pope Leo XIV. More than 370,000 people saw them between 22 February and 22 March, Vatican News reported. The San Francisco show features associated relics and artwork, not his remains.
It was organised with the Knights of Saint Francis of Assisi, a Catholic lay organisation founded by the attorney and former politician Angela Alioto. She wrote on social media: “Again, these relics have not left italy in 800 years, and they won’t be back anytime soon. So please do the best you can and getting over to see this incredible little museo.”
The cathedral says Catholics visiting during the jubilee year can have the chance to receive a plenary indulgence under the Church’s usual conditions. In Catholic teaching, this concerns remission of temporal punishment for sins already forgiven, and is not automatic forgiveness for viewing the relics.
Visiting
The Knights held a ticketed opening celebration on 14 October for 300 guests, with the American premiere of Francis Lives by Monsignor Marco Frisina, a performance by the tenor Pasquale Esposito, and appearances by the actor Joe Mantegna and the singer Teo Bok. The free exhibition opened on 16 October, and regular viewing runs from 17 October to 28 November, generally 9am to 4pm. No ticket is needed. The cathedral lists closures during midday weekday Mass, weekend services, funerals and weddings, so visitors should check its timetable. St Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church has organised a group visit for Sunday 25 October, meeting at 1.30pm.
