As the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, Pope Francis will officially open the Jubilee 2025 – a year-long celebration for Catholics worldwide to reconnect with their faith. For the small medieval town of Assisi in central Italy, this momentous occasion marks the start of an unprecedented influx of visitors, drawn not only by the town’s patron Saint Francis, but also its newly beatified “millennial saint”, Carlo Acutis.
The Allure of Assisi’s Saints
Assisi has long been a spiritual magnet for pilgrims seeking to walk in the footsteps of Saint Francis, the revered 13th-century friar who founded the Franciscan religious order. The majestic basilica built in his honor houses the saint’s tomb, attracting millions of visitors each year eager to pay homage.
But in recent years, a new face has emerged to share the spotlight – Carlo Acutis. Before his untimely death from leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, the London-born teen used his computer programming skills to spread Catholic teachings online, earning him the nickname “God’s Influencer”. In a nod to his devotion to Saint Francis, Acutis requested to be buried in Assisi, where his embalmed body now rests in a glass-paneled tomb, dressed in jeans and a blue tracksuit top.
A Surge of Devotion
The Catholic Church, recognizing the need to attract more young people to the faith, fast-tracked Acutis’s path to sainthood. Pope Francis cleared the way in May after attributing two miracles to the tech-savvy teen – the healing of a Brazilian boy with a rare pancreatic disease and a student in Florence who suffered a traumatic brain injury. Acutis’s canonization, set for late April, is expected to draw even larger crowds to Assisi during the Jubilee year.
“Carlo attracts people and especially young people. It has amazed me too, but it wasn’t something we planned. I think it comes from above.”
– Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of Assisi
Bracing for the Masses
With some 33 million pilgrims forecast to descend upon Rome during the Jubilee year, many will undoubtedly include Assisi as a key stop on their itinerary. The town of just 27,400 residents welcomed over 800,000 visitors to Acutis’s tomb alone between January and August this year. Projections suggest that number could swell to over 5 million in 2025 – more than double the town’s typical annual tourist count.
Concerns are mounting that the sudden influx could strain Assisi’s medieval infrastructure and tranquil atmosphere. As custodian of the Sacred Convent, friar Marco Moroni fears the town may fall victim to “overtourism”, a phenomenon already plaguing other popular pilgrimage sites.
“With all the desire to be welcoming, it won’t be so easy, but I hope we do all we can to ensure it maintains its special characteristics.”
– Marco Moroni, Friar and Custodian of the Sacred Convent
Balancing Blessings and Challenges
Assisi’s tourism officials are seizing the opportunity to showcase the town’s charms beyond its spiritual appeal. Art, cultural events, outdoor recreation, and regional Umbrian cuisine are all on the agenda to keep visitors engaged. Crowd control measures and other logistics are in the works to minimize disruptions for locals.
Still, the economic boon is impossible to ignore in a town where tourism drives the economy. Souvenir shop owner Elvira Boccacci is already fielding questions from curious customers about the “Italian footballer” featured on her Carlo Acutis merchandise. Like many of her fellow townsfolk, she’s gearing up for a banner year, even if it means patiently enduring the occasional overflow of visitors.
As the Jubilee year unfolds, Assisi finds itself at a crossroads – balancing the blessings of renewed spiritual fervor with the practical challenges of hosting a world stage. Whether the town’s patron saints will intercede to strike that delicate balance remains to be seen. One thing is certain: all eyes will be on Assisi as it prepares to step into the global spotlight.
