Genoa for Saint Francis

In 2026, Italy will celebrate the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most emblematic figures in Italian spiritual and cultural history, with a comprehensive program of initiatives combining art, music, reflection, and initiatives to promote historical heritage, which will also have a center in Genoa.

The project “Genoa for St. Francis: music, art, and spirituality” was created because the Carlo Felice Theater is the only opera house that is a member of the National Committee for Franciscan celebrations.

A round table will be set up in the Ligurian capital to discuss and develop initiatives with the Municipality of Genoa, the Liguria Region, the Archdiocese of Genoa, the Palazzo Ducale Foundation for Culture, and, of course, the Carlo Felice Theater Foundation.

“Being the only opera house part of the National Committee for Franciscan celebrations,” says superintendent Michele Galli, “is both an honor and a responsibility for us. With this project, we want to build a path that combines cultural and spiritual tradition with artistic research, involving the city in a journey of listening and remembrance. The new version of Cristian Carrara’s Transitus, the concerts in Franciscan churches, and the collaboration with civic and religious institutions testify to the role of the Carlo Felice as an open place of culture, capable of dialoguing with the territory and putting music at the service of the community. The celebrations dedicated to St. Francis remind us how much art can be an opportunity for encounter and growth: an invitation, now more necessary than ever, to rediscover a fraternal gaze towards the world.”

The activities of “Genoa for St. Francis: music, art, and spirituality” will take place between September and October, but in this first part of the year, there are some previews planned to accompany the public into the heart of the celebrations.

GIOVANNI ANDREA DE FERRARI RESTITUITO

Unpublished paintings and drawings related to the altarpiece of San Nicolosio.

Until May 3, 2026
Musei di Strada Nuova – Palazzo Bianco
Genoa

ALESSANDRO BARBERO IN CONVERSATION WITH ANTONIO MUSARRA: SAINT FRANCIS

Introduced by Carlotta Sorba. In collaboration with Palazzo Ducale Fondazione per la Cultura on the occasion of “Storia in Piazza” (History in the Square).

Francis of Assisi is one of the most famous figures in European history, but also one of the most misunderstood. Saint, poet, rebel, environmentalist, man of peace, radical critic of power: contradictory images have accumulated around him, often diminishing his historical significance. We are not dealing with a nature lover, as is often repeated, but rather with someone capable of recognizing in creation the sign of the Creator, to whom he raises his praise. The dialogue between Alessandro Barbero and Antonio Musarra will address the figure of Francis as he emerges from his writings, from hagiographic tradition, and from what contemporary sensibilities continue to feel for him. What emerges is the figure of a man who, with the disarming power of words and actions, challenged the social, religious, and political models of his time, leaving behind a legacy that is increasingly relevant today.

Free admission with mandatory reservation.

March 27, 2026 – 8:30 p.m.
Carlo Felice Theater
Genoa

ON THE ROAD WITH FRANCIS

Concerts-conversations built around the texts of the Saint and the pages of Hermann Hesse, with readings by Pino Petruzzelli and historical-artistic interventions by the Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Genoa, Giacomo Montanari, who will guide the audience on a journey of discovery of the places and their memories. The music—Gregorian chants reworked by Federico Gon and performed by the vocal and instrumental ensembles of the Teatro Carlo Felice—will interact with the architecture and spirituality of the places, transforming the journey into an immersive, meditative, and communal experience.

From September 23 to 26, 2026

TRANSITUS. FRANCESCO’S SKY

Presentation of the new version of the composition Transitus. The sky of Francesco by Cristian Carrara, commissioned by the Teatro Carlo Felice. The score, inspired by the corpus of Gregorian chants of the Transito del Santo, develops as a sacred representation that combines music, gesture, and contemplation. The work leads the viewer to relive Francis’ last earthly passage in an atmosphere of intense emotional participation, intertwining his last words, liturgical tradition, and a contemporary musical language capable of renewing the relationship between ritual and listening.

October 3, 2026 – 8:30 p.m.
Basilica of Santissima Annunziata del Vastato
Genoa