Lu Santo Jullàre Françesco / Saint Francis the Holy Jester

In 2026, three important anniversaries unite St Francesco of Assisi and Dario Fo: eight hundred years since the death of Italia's patron saint, one of the most famous and beloved saints in the world, and one hundred years since the birth and ten years since the death of the Nobel Prize-winning actor and playwright.  

Matthias Martelli, Fo's artistic heir, arrives at the Gobetti Theatre with his new version of Lu Santo Jullàre Françesco, bringing the strength of his revolutionary message and the radicality of Fo's writing after a long world tour, which touched five continents and was applauded by thousands of people.

But who is Francesco of Assisi? And what's the point of talking about it today? With this work, the jester Fo tells the story of the jester Francesco: a rebellious, courageous man, joyfully outside the confines of power and convenience. Not a plasticized and untouchable holy card, but an uncomfortable, living figure, capable of mirroring every era.

The result is a multi-voiced monologue: there is only one actor on stage, yet the viewer finds himself faced with a fresco teeming with bodies, characters, and voices.

By Dario Fo and Franca Rame.