SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

PROPERTY

‘A life’s task’: The lessons learned from turning a crumbling Italian church into a home

Back in 2000 Marilisa and Riccardo Parisi, a Neapolitan couple in their 60s, snatched up a dilapidated little church in Umbria which had been abandoned for 50 years. They tell Silvia Marchetti exactly what they learned.

'A life's task': The lessons learned from turning a crumbling Italian church into a home
Taking on a renovation project in Italy is not an easy task. Photo: Silvia Marchetti
An old crumbling Italian property dating back to medieval times with all its historic appeal and fascination lures anyone with a penchant for bringing back ancient buildings from the grave.
 
But it can be tough work with many obstacles requiring energy, time, lots of money and above all, patience.
 
Back in 2000 Marilisa and Riccardo Parisi, a Neapolitan couple in their 60s, snatched up a dilapidated little church in Umbria which had been abandoned for 50 years and upgraded it to their lavish rural house, with a cool cocktail lounge under the former altar and master bedroom in what used to be the bishop’s private lodgings.
 
The church, with the original bell tower still hanging and well-preserved frescoed walls, is actually the center of a tiny hamlet isolated in the countryside near Gubbio featuring stables, a barn and storage room which were also renovated and a wide patch of land with olive groves. 
 
“It was all a heap of ruins but I fell in love with the place at first sight,” says Marilisa.
 
“I could feel it had a soul and the stones were ‘talking’ but I knew straight away it was going to be a long, hard work to fix it up”, she said.
 
It took the couple 7 years to complete the restyle and faced with the many challenges encountered along the way, they admit they often thought of giving up. 

Riccardo and Marilisa Parisi at their Umbrian home. Photo Marilisa Parisi
 
Old properties, which are rendered more impressive by the passage of time, naturally come with downsides.
 
Dilapidated homes have a strong allure but breathing new life into them isn’t always as easy as first imagined, warns the couple.
 
Their church-house, which the Parisi bought off the local curia (diocese), is classified as a monument of historical and artistic value by Italy’s state.
 
The first obstacle was dealing with Umbria’s art authorities (sovrintendenza) to make sure the restyle plan respected the structure and architecture of the place. 
 
They warned that the older a property is, the higher the risk that it could potentially be of artistic and historic interest, which entails a significant amount of restrictions (vincoli) and rules imposed by the sovrintendenza in restyling it, and more paperwork than an ordinary property. 
 
The Parisi’s advice to people interested in following in their footsteps is to check beforehand whether the local art authorities may have jurisdiction over an old property, which could complicate and delay the renovation. 
 
“You can’t just sketch any kind of super-cool restyle that pops into your mind,” says Riccardo.
 
“When the art authorities are involved, even if the property is yours, you must draw up detailed plans and maps of how it will look like, what the restyle will entail, what building materials will be used, and share these with the authorities.
 
“So you need to employ architects specialised in preservation. It must be a minimal, sustainable renovation that doesn’t radically change the original structure with excessive fixes,” he adds.
 
So tearing down walls, adding extra rooms or pulling down a roof won’t be possible.
 
Marilisa says: “We tried to recycle the original furniture and materials, we kept the ancient stone steps outside in the courtyard, the old wooden tables of the church which we turned into thick doors, the original terra-cotta pavements and the church altar hall where we have evening drinks.”
 
She admits that having to deal with the construction team on a regular basis was a major hassle, particularly since they had to drive from Naples each time to check on the progress of the work.
 
The couple felt the stress that comes with renovating a property at a distance, by phone or internet without physically visiting and overseeing the builders and architect. It can be risky as key instructions can easily go missing.
 
They suggest it is very important to hire construction teams that can do the entire work rather than splitting it among different building companies so to assure continuity and a homogenous makeover style and techniques. 
 
“If you take on such a challenge of renovating a large property you must make it your life’s task and invest a lot of passion, energy and be ready to spend more than expected”, says Riccardo, who prefers not to disclose how much money has been invested. 
 
The specific location of the property can also be an issue. Bureaucracy was head-splitting, the couple had to not only reactivate utility supplies but rebuild all basic infrastructure because their home is in an isolated spot in the middle of a dense Umbrian forest.
 
“The place is wonderful, surrounded by pristine nature, there’s nothing around us and that’s a major plus point. But having been abandoned for so many years there was no running water, electricity, gas, so to make our home liveable again we had to rebuild the water pumps and electricity grid, activate a landline and internet,” says Riccardo.
 
“These are all things you need to consider when you embark on such a mission.”
 
Roads are another problem to be taken into account. It’s difficult to find the place, one needs to follow the directions given by the Parisi as it’s not mapped.
 
There’s just a tiny unpaved country path leading to their Umbrian retreat from the main road which they had to clear through the thick vegetation that had grown over the property’s estate across decades. The path is wide enough for one big car and needs constant maintenance particularly when it rains. 
 
“If you buy and renovate a lovely crumbly property in an offbeat, isolated rural spot you have to know that you’re starting from scratch”, says Riccardo. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

PROPERTY

Six things to know about Italy’s one-euro homes

Italy's one-euro home schemes remain popular with foreign buyers - but it's important to familiarise yourself with some basic information before you dive in.

Six things to know about Italy’s one-euro homes

Since Salemi in Sicily became the first Italian town to hit on the idea of selling off abandoned homes for one euro over a decade ago, the trend has spread like wildfire throughout the country.

Such arrangements are mutually beneficial, the idea goes, with small towns saving themselves from depopulation and passing on renovation costs to foreign buyers, who in turn find the Italian holiday or retirement home of their dreams for next to nothing.

But it’s important to be clear-eyed about exactly what you’re getting into when entering into one of these schemes.

1. You (almost certainly) won’t be in a city centre

If you’re looking for some peace and quiet in a remote location, a one-euro home might be just what you’re looking for – but don’t expect to find one in a bustling Italian town or city.

The reason these properties are being sold off for one euro in the first place is because almost all of them are in underpopulated rural villages at risk of becoming ghost towns.

READ ALSO: MAP: Where in Italy can you buy homes for one euro?

One notable exception is the Pugliese city of Taranto, which began selling one-euro homes in 2020. However as the site of a major steel works, Taranto struggles with high levels of pollution, and isn’t most foreign buyers’ dream destination.

One-euro homes tend to be in remote locations. Photo by Luca Pennacchioni on Unsplash

2. They end up costing a lot more than one euro

An entire home for one euro might sound good to be true – and if one euro is all you’re prepared to invest, it almost certainly is.

Most one-euro homes are borderline dilapidated and and require major renovation in order to become habitable again.

READ ALSO: ‘Italy’s one-euro homes cost a lot more than one euro – but can be worth it’

Some town councils require an up front commitment of ten or 20 thousand euros in order to put in an offer. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it – after all, a 20,000 euro house is still a lot cheaper than most properties you’d find back home.

If renovating a property from scratch sounds like more hassle than it’s worth, however, you might be better off just buying a cheap Italian home that’s move-in ready.

3. You’ll want to make sure your back’s covered

It’s the stuff of nightmares: you spend your savings renovating a property just to have it snatched away from you at the last moment.

That’s what happened to Maria and Peter Jansen, a retired Dutch couple who spent two years renovating an abandoned farm in Sicily at a cost of 80,000 euros, only for the original owner’s Canadian descendent to turn up at very end waving an ownership deed that proved it was hers.

Of course this kind of nightmare scenario is hardly common, but the Jansens’ experience shows it’s not impossible.

READ ALSO: ‘We bought and renovated a one-euro home in Italy – then had to give it back’

The countryside around Enna, Sicily, where the Jansens bought their dream home. Photo: Maria and Peter Jansen

To protect yourself, it’s advisable to seek out your own independent notaio or notary (not one recommended by the seller’s real estate agency) who can conduct all the proper checks and review the catasto, or land registry documents – as well as taking out the best insurance you can find.

READ ALSO: How to avoid hidden traps when buying an old property in Italy

4. It might take longer than you think to renovate

Once you’ve bought your one-euro home, you’ll want to get started on the renovation as soon as possible – but here’s where you’ll need to cultivate some patience.

A post-pandemic home renovation subsidy scheme introduced by the Italian government in 2020 to kickstart the economy had the unintended consequence of causing major delays with building works, including for people who had committed to renovating their one-euro properties.

Renovating an Italian home might not be as straightforward as you imagine. Photo by Luca Pennacchioni on Unsplash

The scheme, which allowed homeowners to reclaim up to 110 percent of the costs of their property renovation back from the government, proved hugely popular, booking up building contractors months in advance and leading to a shortage of construction materials.

Though the scheme is now winding down and is no longer open to new applications, the backlog is still affecting renovations, and you should be prepared for it to take some time to find a contractor.

5. It could(!) be the answer to your money problems

Buying a one-euro home probably isn’t going to be a money maker: they tend not to be in tourist destinations where you can easily open a B&B or holiday rental, or in locations where most long-term residents want to live.

But if you’re realistic in your expectations, and particularly if you’re looking for a cheap – but not quite one-euro – property, this might just be a way to start a new, low-cost life without rent or mortgage payments.

READ ALSO: My Italian Home: ‘We bought the cheapest house in Piedmont and live mortgage free’

That’s what happened for Lisa Chiodo and her family, who in 2013 relocated from Australia to rural Piedmont and bought the cheapest fixer-upper they could find for 8,000 euros.

With a further 6,000 euros to buy the adjoining property and a modest outlay of 14,000 euros on renovations that they mostly carried out themselves, they now live in the house mortgage-free.

Lisa Chiodo and her family live in the Piedmont Alps. Photo by Max Zed on Unsplash

6. You should expect to hang on to it for a while

You might spend thousands and lavish your time and creative energies on your new home: but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to sell on when you’re done, or even that you’ll make a profit doing so.

The supply of remote properties for sale in Italy vastly exceeds the demand from potential buyers, which is why there are so many cheap and one-euro homes available in the first place.

Italians tend to prefer new builds so they don’t have to worry about upkeep, so for the most part you’ll likely be restricted to foreign buyers.

That doesn’t mean a one-euro home isn’t be a good deal if you’re looking for a retirement property, a holiday home or somewhere from which to work remotely: just think of it as a long-term investment in your own enjoyment rather than a financially lucrative investment property.

Thinking of snapping up a bargain Italian property? See more in The Local’s one-euro homes section.

SHOW COMMENTS