Approfondimento

The church owning fund of the Ministry of the Interior (Fondo Edifici di Culto - F.E.C.)

As is widely known, Italy has the richest and most varied cultural heritage in the world and churches are undoubtedly the most remarkable evidence of the different cultures that prevailed over the centuries.
However, few people know that a number of them are owned by a Fund (F.E.C.) administered by the Ministry. In the complex world of public administration, F.E.C. stands out not only for its activity, but also for the history of its establishment and the origin of its assets, dating back to the events leading to the creation of the unified national state. At the end of the 19th century, religious orders were dissolved and their assets allocated to the Fund in compliance with specific legislation. The Fund supports the churches open to public worship, which are loaned to religious authorities; furthermore it is responsible for the preservation and renovation of the buildings themselves and of the works of art contained in them.
Religious buildings make up the largest and most prestigious part of F.E.C., however numerous assets of a different nature also belong to the Fund - an outstanding example of which is a forest in the Tarvisio area.