The Canticle of Brother Sun opened the series of initiatives with which the Santa Veronica Giuliani ETS Foundation will accompany the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis, scheduled for 2026.

The conference titled “The Canticle of Brother Sun: The Song of the Redeemed Man” took place in the cloister of the Santa Veronica Giuliani Monastery, featuring Professor Stefano Brufani, Full Professor of Medieval and Humanistic Latin Literature at the University of Perugia, and Father Marco Moroni, Custos of the Sacred Convent of Assisi.

The gathering was opened by Sister Chiara Veronica Sebastiano, President of the Foundation. Following her, remarks were given by Michela Botteghi, Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Città di Castello—representing Mayor Luca Secondi—who emphasized the value of Saint Veronica for the city and the surrounding territory, and by Regional Councilor Letizia Michelini, who confirmed the support of the Umbria Region for the Foundation’s initiatives, with a special focus on the Centenary of Saint Veronica scheduled for 2027.

The central moment of the evening was introduced by the reading of the Canticle by Sister Serafina Di Fonzo. Through a dialogue built upon mutual questions, Brufani and Father Marco Moroni guided the public to discover the historical and spiritual context in which Saint Francis’s text was born, focusing especially on the final stanzas dedicated to forgiveness, illness, suffering, and death.

The speakers highlighted how the human and spiritual experience of the Saint emerges powerfully precisely within those verses, showing his ability to transform pain into a praise that continues to speak to us today.

Also attending the conference were the Vice President of the Foundation Antonio Chiappani, the President of the Palazzo Vitelli Association Gianfranco Nisi, the coordinator of the National Exhibition of the Antique Book Giancarmelo Mezzetti, and the President of the Marietta Alboni Choir Leonardo Becciu.

The event concluded with the presentation of upcoming initiatives scheduled for September, including the exhibition “Women of God Between Silence and Word”—included in the calendar of the 26th National Exhibition of the Antique Book—and a meditation-concert by the Marietta Alboni Choir, which will continue the journey of preparation for the celebrations dedicated to Saint Francis and Saint Veronica Giuliani.

Special thanks go to graphic designer Fabrizio Manis and Dr. Catia Cecchetti for their organizational collaboration, as well as to Enrico Milanesi for his kind availability.