Florentine monks fear that it was done with the peace of the arrival of luxury homes

Piazza Santo Spirito-the square of the Holy Spirit-is a pleasantly busy place in Oltrarno, a popular neighborhood on the left bank of the Arno River in the heart of Florence. At the end of the afternoon, the market vendors pick up again to make way for students, tourists and locals in search of an aperitif. The square takes its name from the ocher yellow fifteenth-century basilicaa design by the Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi.

The attraction in the basilica is one Wooden statue of Christ On the cross, made by a very young Michelangelo. Just next to it is the monastery of the Catholic Augustinian Order. The famous artist stayed with the monks for a year and a half, who let him study the bodies of deceased patients from a nearby hospital. From thanks, the then eighteen -year -old Michelangelo gave the monastic order the wooden Jesus statue, an early masterpiece.

So noisy the square, the more striking the silence as soon as you enter the beautiful Kloosterhof. In the inner garden, the lemon trees are already in bloom – the monks like to drink lemonade. « We hope to be able to retain this silence – as necessary for our lives of dedication and prayer -, » says Brother Giuseppe Pagano (64), the prior. « But if a large part of this monastery is transformed into luxury homes, it is over with the peace. Then there is nothing else to do than to grab us. »

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Augustinian Order experienced its peak in Florence, with about four hundred monks in this monastery. « We are still with the four of us today. Callings are a big problem, » acknowledges Pagano. The four monks share the daily life with three students and a layman, who jumps in as a gardener and as a jack of of all.

Originally the monastery consisted of two monastery corridors. The two courtyards were connected. That changed after the unification of Italy, in the 19th century, when the young Italian state seized ownership. The two monastic corridors were separated from each other, and a large part of the monastery came into the hands of the Ministry of Defense. One of the monastic corridors became an army barracks.

Nowadays the monks live in the other, second monastery, but they are not allowed to use them completely: they only have access to the ground floor of the courtyard. The rooms of the top floor, which look out on the inner garden of the monastery order, are also used by the army. And soon perhaps because of the new residents of the luxury homes. When Italy still had the military service, the barracks in the monastery was the registration place for young recruits. Today the building serves as an archive.

Tender

But not long, because by chance the brothers found out that Defense no longer needs the barracks. The Augustinians, who had been dreaming of the reunification of both monastic corridors for years, did not know that the government was looking for a new manager through a tender and therefore did not participate. In the end, only one company appeared, Fastpol, with a project to transform the barracks in the old monastery into luxury homes for the elderly. In 2022 Fastpol was in control of the barracks. The only participant was automatically the winner.

The monks suspect that ‘luxury homes for the elderly’ is euphemistic language for a luxury residence for the richest. They are in the dark about their future and have no idea when the renovation, on the top floor of their cloister and just next to it, would start.

Their fate can count on a lot of solidarity in the neighborhood. « Together with unbridled tourism, construction speculators are slowly destroying this city, » says local resident Miguel Martinez (69), with a coffee on the square in front of the Basilica. A quarter of a century ago he moved to Florence, and in those years he saw his neighborhood in the famous Renaissance city changing strongly. « We already lost the indoor playground, where my two children played, and also had to give way to the municipal theater for the plans of a building promoter. And apart from tourists, nobody can rent a room here. »

On Thursday, hundreds of local residents protested together on the square in front of the Basilica against the plans for a luxury residence. The brothers’s lawyer thinks he can turn the tide: « The Fastpol company then got hold of the management of the barracks, but no contract has still been signed, » says Lorenzo Calvani, during an information evening in the basilica. « We use all legal means to prevent the project. » Fastpol did not respond to questions from this newspaper for comments.

Towards the arrival of the luxury homes, it is now also being argued, such as here last Thursday. Speculation is used here, one of the slogans is.

Photo Massimiliano Donati

Culture center

The monks propose to renovate the monastery into a cultural center, with housing for students who choose what they donate. « Just as young Michelangelo had the opportunity to let his brilliant talent open, we want to encourage more young people to develop here, » says Broeder Pagano. He also knows that the cloister will never be filled with monks again, he says with a sigh, while whispering tourists come to admire the inner garden. « But it would be a shame if a small elite gained access to this monastery. » On their own, the brothers are not a measure of a wealthy building promoter, but the Augustin Order in the US already offers the Italian monks financial support.

The city of Florence and the Tuscany region have also woken up due to the fresh protest and media attention. « I fully support the brothers, » says Eugenio Giani, Tuscany’s regional resident on the phone. « The procedure for giving the building a different destination went far too fast and a bit mysterious. » Giani also believes that the building should retain its public function. « It is unacceptable that this historic place will soon become the commercial project of construction speculators. »

The brothers, the city of Florence and the Tuscany region require maintenance with Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, to discuss the future of the barracks and the monastery. Crosetto announced through a spokesperson that he is studying the case.

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