The Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco joined the City and County of San Francisco and the Italian-American community for the traditional Italian Heritage Month flag-raising ceremony at City Hall, marking an especially significant year for the ties between Italy and San Francisco.
This year’s celebrations coincide with two important anniversaries: the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Francisco and the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, Italy’s patron saint and the figure from whom the city takes its name.
To mark the occasion, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and Assisi Mayor Valter Stoppini participated in a ceremony at City Hall celebrating the renewal of the sister-city agreement between San Francisco and Assisi. The agreement reaffirms the longstanding friendship between the two cities and their shared commitment to strengthening cultural exchange and cooperation.
The celebrations also coincided with the opening of an extraordinary exhibition dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco.
The exhibition brings together relics, artworks, and historical objects associated with the saint, including a work attributed to Cimabue dating to approximately 1290 and a relic of Saint Francis’s blood from the Sanctuary of La Verna. Presented together in San Francisco, these exceptional objects offer visitors a rare opportunity to explore the life and legacy of one of Italy’s most influential historical and spiritual figures.
Open to the public free of charge from October 16 through November 28, 2026, the exhibition further highlights the unique historical and cultural bond between Assisi and the American city that bears Saint Francis’s name.
The Consulate General extends its appreciation to Mayor Daniel Lurie, Mayor Valter Stoppini, and the City of San Francisco, as well as to Angela Alioto, Richard Armanino, Catherine Stefani, and the many individuals and organizations whose dedication helped make these celebrations and the exhibition possible.
Together, these initiatives celebrate the enduring contributions of the Italian community to San Francisco while opening new opportunities for friendship, cultural exchange, and collaboration between Italy and the United States.
