Assisi “The Ascension of Saint Francis of Assisi in Dante’s Paradise”

In Assisi, on Wednesday 9 September 2026 at 3.30 pm, in the prestigious Sala della Conciliazione at the Palazzo dei Priori in Piazza del Comune, in the Town Hall, the event “The Ascension of Saint Francis of Assisi in Dante’s Paradise” will take place. The event is held under the patronage of the City of Assisi, the Provincial Order of the Seraphic Province of St Francis of Assisi of Umbria and Sardinia, and the Dante Alighieri Society, and is organised by the Ars Pace Association. This is the penultimate event in the series of the same name, conceived by Ars Pace to mark the eighth centenary of the death of St Francis, with the aim of promoting a new path of dialogue and culture dedicated to the figure of St Francis, whom Dante Alighieri remembers, after his passing, in Canto XI of Paradise. It follows the meetings in Zurich, Lausanne and Madrid and takes place before the conclusion of the entire three-year “Franciscan Peace Trilogy” project, announced for Sunday 4 October 2026, in Geneva, with the performance of the Concert for Peace dedicated to St. Francis.
The event opened with official addresses by the Mayor of Assisi, Valter Stoppini, the President of Ars Pace, Enrique Barón Crespo, and the President of the National Committee for the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis, Davide Rondoni.
Following the speeches by Friar Georges Massinelli, Provincial Vicar of the Friars Minor of the Seraphic Province of St. Francis of Assisi of Umbria and Sardinia, Alessandro Masi, Secretary General of the Dante Alighieri Society, and Anna Rüdeberg, Chair of the Ars Pace Scientific Committee and of the Bern Committee of the Dante Alighieri Society, with Monica Baldi, Vice-President of Ars Pace, acting as moderator.
The original solidarity project “The Path of Dante Alighieri” will be presented by the author Alessandro Sarti.
At the end of the round-table discussion, the renowned musician George Georgescu will perform Bach’s suite on the cello.
At 6 pm, there will be a special visit to the Porziuncola, in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, to pay homage to St Francis at the place of his passing.