POVERELLO. Saint Francis of Assisi

The Poor Man of Assisi in Warsaw – on such a scale for the first time.

On the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, the Museum of the Warsaw Archdiocese opens the exhibition “Poverello”. However, it is more than a religious story about the saint – it is an encounter with Francis told through art, aimed above all at lovers and enthusiasts of painting, sculpture and graphic art. The curators have brought together such a large and diverse group of outstanding artists that “Poverello” has the chance to become one of the most important artistic events of the season – whether the visitor is seeking spiritual reflection or simply wants to see in one place works by the finest Polish artists of several eras.

About the exhibition

The exhibition features works by Jan Matejko, Józef Chełmoński, Jan Stanisławski, Jacek Malczewski, Antoni Rząsa, Tadeusz Boruta, Jan Szczepkowski, Antoni Michalak, Jerzy Tchórzewski, Wiesław Szamborski, Józef Wilkoń and many other artists representing very different sensibilities, techniques and eras – from academic painting and Young Poland symbolism, through post-war art, to contemporary interpretations. This diversity – the juxtaposition of nineteenth-century realism with post-war expressionism and contemporary illustration – shows how many artists across the centuries have grappled with the figure of Francis, each in their own way.

The exhibition tells of the atmosphere of Assisi that shaped the consciousness of the young Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, of discovering one’s vocation and choosing one’s life path, of the love of all creation that accompanied Francis throughout his life, of devotion to one’s neighbour and love of poverty, and finally of the events and miracles of his life and of the transitus – the passage from this world to eternity. All of this is presented through the language of art: paintings, sculptures, graphic works, objects of applied art, medals, textiles and photographs from seven centuries – from the 13th to the 21st century.

Key objects

Among the most important exhibits will be an alms box dating from around 1400 from the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw, as well as 13th-century ducats. Among the rarely shown works is Antoni Rząsa’s “St Francis”, which is normally displayed almost exclusively in Zakopane. A special place is occupied by Tadeusz Boruta’s cycle “St Francis Commends Himself to the Protection of the Church”, represented by three or four canvases, as well as Antoni Michalak’s “Stigmatisation” and Jacek Malczewski’s painting “St Francis” from 1908.

Where the exhibits come from

The exhibits come from more than twenty museum and monastic collections across Poland, including the Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie, Muzeum Narodowe w Kielcach, Muzeum Narodowe we Wrocławiu, Zamek Królewski na Wawelu, Muzeum Śląska Opolskiego, Muzeum Mazowieckie w Płocku, Muzeum Okręgowe w Toruniu, Muzeum Uniwersyteckie w Toruniu, Muzeum Śląskie w Katowicach and the Muzeum Akademii Sztuk Pięknych w Warszawie, as well as from the collections of Franciscan monasteries, including the Klasztor św. Franciszka in Kraków and the Franciscan monastery in Gdynia, and from numerous private collections. The Museum of the Warsaw Archdiocese also contributes from its own collection. The exhibition is under the honorary patronage of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw.

Exhibition “Poverello. Święty Franciszek z Asyżu” under the honorary patronage of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw Adrian Galbas SAC

Exhibition POVERELLO. Saint Francis of Assisi

2.10.2026–10.01.2027

Curators: Roksana Gawrońska, Fr. Andrzej Zając OFMConv Exhibition design: Sonia Graban

The exhibition partner is the fabric wholesaler “Alexis”

MEDIA PARTNERS OF THE EXHIBITION

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Lectures accompanying the exhibition “Poverello. Św. Franciszek z Asyżu”

1. 06.10.2026 | Tue., 5:30 p.m. | Saint Francis in medieval hagiography and in…