Monte Sant’Angelo celebrates its two UNESCO Sites: spirituality, history and nature as protagonists…

A place where spirituality, history, nature and community intersect: Monte Sant’Angelo returns to celebrate its deepest identity. After the Michael Festival last May, the events of the annual calendar presented in February continue, with two central moments dedicated to the UNESCO recognitions of the municipality of the Apulian municipality.

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The first date is “Michael and Francis“, scheduled for next June 25th to 30th: an event dedicated to cultural heritage, Lombard spirituality, dialogue between communities, contemporary art and paths, in the name of the historical link between Saint Michael the Archangel e Saint Francis of Assisi — whose 800th anniversary of death coincides this year with the UNESCO anniversary.

The calendar will open Thursday 25 June with a double inauguration: at 11 am, at the municipal library, the regional conference of the CAMPUS – Climate Adaptation Plans for UNESCO Sites project, dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage from climate risks, will be held. Subsequently, at 6 pm, in the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, the restored asset will be inaugurated, a legacy of 2024, the year in which Monte Sant’Angelo was the Capital of Culture of Puglia. In the evening, at 8.30 pm, in the upper atrium of the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo, the evening event for the 15 years of UNESCO recognition will be held, with the participation of institutional, religious and cultural representatives from all over Italy, the performance of the string quartet of the Suoni del Sud Orchestra and the presentation of the contemporary work of art “The stone of the new pilgrim” by the artist Vito Maiullari, born from a community journey that involved parishes, schools and associations in the city.

Friday 26 June it will be a particularly significant day: Monte Sant’Angelo will host a special event with Assisi, in the year leading to the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis. A solemn Eucharist will be celebrated in the Grotto of the Archangel, presided over by the Bishop of Assisi, Monsignor Felice Accrocca. This was followed by the renewal of the friendship pact between the two cities, in the presence of the Mayor of Monte Sant’Angelo Pierpaolo d’Arienzo, the Mayor of Assisi Valter Stoppini and the respective religious representatives.

Saturday 27 June it will be the White Night of cultural heritage: museums and monuments open with free guided tours at 7pm, 8.30pm and 10pm. Numerous sites can be visited: the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo and its TECUM museums, the Castle, the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Tumba, the MeTA – Tancredi Ethnographic Museum and “The Angel’s Path”. The evening will end at 10 pm, in Piazza Carlo d’Angiò, with a concert by Paolo Iannacci.

Sunday 28 June it will be dedicated to the reception of the Relic of the Mantle of Saint Francis and the solemn procession towards the Archangel’s Cave. The program will close on Tuesday 30 June with “The forgiveness of the Gargano”, the march of approximately 30 kilometers that connects Monte Sant’Angelo to San Giovanni Rotondo – and therefore San Michele Arcangelo to San Pio – with arrival at midnight and the rite of opening the Door to gain the Plenary Indulgence.

From 7 to 12 July then it will be the turn of “Happy Birthday Faggete UNESCO“, the event dedicated to the 9th anniversary of the recognition of the old beech forests of the Umbra Forest. Among the scheduled events, on Saturday 11 July there will be “A night in the Forest“: an immersive night walk through nature, silence and biodiversity, from 8.30pm to 11pm. An experience that entrusts the discovery of the forest to hearing, touch and smell, among the call of owls, the murmur of the leaves and the possibility of coming across roe deer at Lake Umbra.
«With “Michael et Franciscus” we celebrate an anniversary that is not just memory, but responsibility and a vision of the future», declares the First Citizen Pierpaolo d’Arienzo. «Monte Sant’Angelo has the privilege and responsibility of safeguarding two heritage sites recognized by UNESCO: one linked to history, faith and Lombard civilisation; the other to nature, biodiversity and the thousand-year-old strength of the Umbra Forest. Celebrating these awards means remembering where we come from, but above all building a vision of the future based on culture, sustainability and participation.”
«With these events, the work of promoting the destination started with the annual calendar presented in February continues», adds Tourism Councilor Rosa Palomba. «Monte Sant’Angelo is a city that can offer authentic experiences all year round. The two UNESCO recognitions are not just a title, but a great opportunity to better describe our territory and build increasingly aware and sustainable tourism.”
The two exhibitions are part of a year already full of meanings: 2026 also celebrates the 950 years of the Bronze Doors of the Sanctuary, accompanied by the claim “The Door of Heaven: an emotion to pass through”. A threshold city between heaven and earth, between cultural and natural heritage, between ancient memory and new experiences to live.