This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
The Statue of St Francis in Rieti: the centenary monument made by a local sculptor
In Rieti, overlooking the Franciscan Holy Valley, the statue of St Francis was inaugurated on November 25, 1927. It was commissioned by the Venerable Monsignor Massimo Rinaldi to mark the 7th centenary of the Saint's death. It was entrusted to a sculptor from Rieti, Cristo Giordano Nicoletti. A monument born at home, for a saint who truly walked these lands.
A base made from the stones of Franciscan places
The most interesting detail lies beneath the statue's feet. The original base — dismantled and reassembled during recent redevelopment works in the historic centre — is a block of stone extracted from Mount Lacerone, the mountain on which the Sanctuary of Greccio stands. Around it are four rocky boulders taken from other Franciscan sites in the Holy Valley. So the saint physically rests on the stones of the places he walked through: a simple and rather powerful idea.
Where it is located
The statue is in Piazza Mariano Vittori, on the northern forecourt of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, in the historic centre of Rieti.
