The Fec-owned churches

The Fec-owned churches are more than 700 spread all over the national territory: churches, abbeys, monumental basiliques, all of them of high historical and artistic value, frequently renowned worldwide.

Some of the most outstanding examples are:

- in Rome: Santa Maria del Popolo, hosting two famous paintings by Caravaggio (whose real name was Michelangelo Merisi) ‘The conversion of Saint Paul’ and ‘The Crucifixion of Saint Peter’ and Santa Maria in Aracoeli;
- in Florence: Basilica di Santa Croce’s series of frescoes illustrating the life of Saint Francis painted by Giotto and the wooden crucifix by Donatello;
- in Naples: the church of Santa Chiara, with the annexed cloister of the Clarisses, decorated by maiolica tiles illustrating 64 landscapes in the 18th century, the church of San Gregorio Armeno and the Basilica di San Domenico Maggiore;
- in Palermo and Monreale (in the province of Palermo): the church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, called ‘La Martorana’, the abbey of San Martino alle Scale in Monreale.

By using the resources allocated to the Fund, the Central Directorate for the administration of the church owing fund carries out preservation and renovation activities of both buildings and works of art contained in them. It is also responsible for keeping its assets safe by installing antitheft devices.