Naples, the former rectory of the church of San Biagio ai Taffettanari seized

The story of the rectory was the protagonist of an investigation on the Rai3 Report programme

NAPLES – Preventive seizure in Naples of the former rectory of the Church of San Biagio ai Taffettanari, owned by the Opera Pia of the same name, now commissioned by the prefect of Naples and constituting an asset of historical-architectural importance . The Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Naples started the application of the seals. The preventive seizure decree was issued by the Judge for preliminary investigations at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Naples – Intersectional group for the protection of cultural heritage.
In the proceedings, as reported in a note signed by the Deputy Prosecutor of the Republic Pierpaolo Filippelli, seven people are under investigation, all belonging to the Cortese – Macor family unit who over time have progressively invaded and occupied, without having any title, the buildings of the Rectory, illegally carrying out various works to increase the living space.
The proceeding is, as detailed in the note, for the crimes of invasion of land and buildings (art. 633 of the criminal code), illegal building works (art. 44 of Presidential Decree 380/2001) and defacement and use of goods for incompatible uses cultural (art. 518-duodecies criminal code).

THE REPORT INVESTIGATION

The story of the connected rectory of the sixteenth century church, in the historic center of Naples, was the protagonist of an investigation on the Rai3 Report programand of a question presented to the Chamber by Francesco Emilio Borrelli , deputy of the Greens-Left Alliance. On that occasion, the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi explained that the premises of the rectory were no longer the property of the Archbishop’s Curia of Naples but of the Opera Pia, without an administrator. At the same time, the head of the department had anticipated that the Prefecture was evaluating “the feasibility of every possible path to restore conditions of legality as soon as possible”.
At the end of December last year, the commissioner for the temporary management of the assets of the Fabbriceria Opera The pious church of San Biagio ai Taffettanari, appointed by the prefect of Naples Michele di Bari, had signed and sent for notification the warnings for the release of the rectory properties.
Today’s initiative is part of the broader plan of reconnaissance of the historical-artistic and architectural heritage initiated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Naples with the collaboration of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Municipality of Naples, the Curia of Naples and the University of Naples Federico II – Department of Architecture.