A long line of pilgrims and visitors waited patiently on Sunday to view the remains of Saint Francis of Assisi outside his namesake basilica in the central Italian town of Assisi. For the first time in nearly eight centuries, the general public was able to see the remains of one of the Catholic Church's best-known saints.
The patron saint of Italy's remains have been resting in a stone sarcophagus for centuries. On Saturday, the coffin was ceremoniously transferred from the crypt to the lower church of the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. The display will last one month and end on March 22. According to the Franciscan Order, nearly 400,000 people from across the globe have registered to attend.
