In the Italian town of Predappio, where Benito Mussolini was once born, an ancient church is for sale. The building, first mentioned in the 16th century, is quite well preserved. Atmospheric photos and the history of the church are in the article.

In Italy, in the small town of Predappio, an old church is for sale for €99,000. 

The photos show that the path to the house of prayer is not yet overgrown — only in some places young and strong grass has managed to break through the old asphalt path. Despite the cracks and the dilapidated annex, the church looks smart from afar. The white walls of the building still stand out festively against the green forest, and the orange-brown framed roof seems to complete and decorate the image. But when you get closer, you immediately notice the deep cracks that start from the bottom. From the side the church does not look presentable: old stone walls, where even the brick in some places is cracked into small pieces. By the way, one of the bricks bears a date: 1854, and it is not entirely clear whether this is the date of the church’s construction or the date of its restoration.

The advert states that the old Catholic Church of St. Lorenzo Martire and St. Nicola was built in the nineteenth century. Still, it also states that its first mention dates back to the sixteenth century when the structure received a pastoral visit from Monsignor Peruzzi. From then on, the church underwent many changes and restorations. The vendor specifies that all these interventions changed the structure and original appearance of the building, and this in turn made room for modern, elegant, and linear architecture.

Cracks in the façade of an old church building in Italy

An 1854 engraved brick in a church building in Italy

According to the ad, the church was added to the list of oppressed Catholic places of worship in 1986, but the building still retains its old sacred value in the collective memory of nearby communities. 

The church is surrounded by about 7,000 square meters of land, which is currently covered by woods and partly arable land. This place, although somewhat secluded, cannot be called isolated. The seller points out that the area is active in terms of sports and ecotourism, and the former church of San Lorenzo has long been one of the attractions on trekking and mountain bike trails.

The boarded-up door of an old church in Italy

Overgrowth on the wall of a church in Italy

The photos in the ad do not express the atmosphere inside the church — there are only a few images of the collapsed vault, where you can see the broken wooden ceilings and the blue pattern on a white background. The ornate lines, simple white flowers framed in yellow, which are painted on a sky-blue background. There is not much painting left, but it does not prevent us to understand how beautiful it was when the church was operating. 

Even from the photographs, we can see that the church can still be restored. In spite of everything, this church can still gather parishioners under its arches, instilling hope and faith in those who need it.

Painting on the ceiling of an abandoned church in Predappio

Facade of the church in Predappio