At the Rocca Maggiore in Assisi, from 24 April to 4 October 2026, Michelangelo Pistoletto presents "Franciscus. Fratello in arte", a project bringing together art, spirituality and collective responsibility, on the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis.

At the heart of the exhibition is the proclamation of Pope Francis as "First Saint of Art": not a religious act, but a gesture within the language of art that recognises in the pontiff a figure capable of turning life into a work and spirituality into shared responsibility.

The exhibition brings together works spanning decades of the artist's practice — The Time of Judgement, conTatto, the Third Paradise, The Flags of Religions — alongside the Sign Art series, in which religious symbols and universal geometries are rendered as open, reflective forms. The mirror, a central element in Pistoletto's work, draws the viewer into a process of transformation of space and perception.

From the Polygonal Tower, the highest point of the fortress, the permanent work installed in the Wood of Saint Francis is visible, creating a dialogue between inside and outside. The exhibition closes with a video installation of the artistic proclamation of Pope Francis.

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Franciscus. Fratello in arte