New events in the Franciscan Jubilee Year
Rimini is increasingly becoming a gateway to the network of St. Francis's Walks: a statue of the Saint was unveiled at Federico Fellini International Airport.
The work created by Rimini artist Alessandro La Motta for the eighth centenary of the saint's death will remain on display in the airport terminal until August 22, the day of Pope Leo XIV's visit.
The initiative, promoted under the patronage of the National Committee for the Celebrations of the Eighth Centenary of the Death of Saint Francis, Saint Francis' Wais, the Municipality and Diocese of Rimini, and in collaboration with Italian Exhibition Group and Airiminum, is part of the celebrations for the eighth centenary of the saint's death.
The ceremony was attended by Airiminum CEO Leonardo Corbucci, Rimini Mayor Jamil Sadegholvaad, Italian Exhibition Group President Maurizio Ermeti, Rimini Diocese Cultural Heritage Office Director Johnny Farabegoli, and Franco Boarelli, Coordinator of the St. Francis Walk from Rimini to La Verna.
The choice of Rimini Airport as the first stop on the exhibition carries profound symbolic value: a crossroads of departures and arrivals, the airport ideally represents the beginning of the Franciscan Way, transforming the journey into an experience that unites the physical and spiritual.
The sculpture, which will be finished in bronze, offers a simple yet highly expressive vision of the Poor Man of Assisi; it will be officially unveiled on August 22nd during the papal visit.
Stylistically, La Motta's statue recalls pre-Giotto iconography: the bust, marked by the knots typical of bronze casting, evokes nature and the connection with the historic Verucchio cypress tree. The open arms and outward-facing hands convey a universal message of welcome and brotherhood, supported by the stigmata which, though barely visible, recall the sculpture's profound spiritual dimension. At the end of the Franciscan year, the statue will find its permanent home in a space in Rimini, thus remaining a heritage accessible to all citizens, pilgrims on the Way of St. Francis, and tourists.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
"Art Tells Stories: Scenes from the Life of Saint Francis" - Exhibition of works from September 20 to October 18
