In the picture: Chiesa di Santa Maria della Scorziata
Source:Ph Massimo Listri
Italian newspaper ‘Corriere della Sera’ ran a report revealing that approximately 200 of Naples’ churches are either closed or abandoned.
The report suggests that the churches are in a state of neglect because of mismanagement by the authorities including national and local government, the Church and the Ministry of Culture. The report asserts that there are cases where planned restoration works have not been carried out. Among the churches the newspaper lists as being in a state of disrepair are the garbage-littered Sant’Antonio alla Vicaria and the S. Maria Vertecoeli that has a damaged roof open to the elements.
The damning report comes after a petition circulated in late 2012 calling for Naples to be stripped of the UNESCO World Heritage Site status it gained 17 years ago. Signed by leading intellectuals and 16 civic committees, the petition was accompanied by a photographic dossier documenting neglected buildings in the city.
The report also highlights the illegal traffic of artistic treasures such as candleholders, frescoes, statues, and even marble fonts. Police from the Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio (Heritage Protection Centre) have had success in recovering looted artworks, but the report raises the concern that leaving the churches in disrepair makes them possible prey for thieves.
Cuts in funding during austerity measures may have made it even harder for the city to upkeep its numerous architectural treasures and historic sites. However, as the report implies, Naples has so many that an injection of funding from big businesses, art foundations or banks is required to help to carry out such large-scale conservation work and preserve the city’s cultural heritage.
