1. The History
Located in the Campanian city of Salerno, the convent dates back to circa 1560. next to the pre-existing church and dedicated to Santa Maria della Consolazione and on the road that leads to the Arechi castle, it is close by to the convent of San Francesco. Consisting of 43 cells, a library and a workshop, documentation from 1650 indicates the land on which it was built was donated by the Capograsso family. Inhabited by 25 friars, the convent was central to the Capuchin monastic province of Basilicata-Salerno.
The Napoleonic Decree of 1807 subsequently saw a number of ecclesiastical buildings taken over by the State and repurposed for other uses. However, the convent survived for over half a century before in 1866 it was transformed into a women's prison. In continued in use as a prison until it was decommissioned and inmates moved to other prisons in the Salerno vicinity.
In July 2021, the municipality of Salerno received a loan of €8million euros from the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility as part of the national program aimed at redeveloping urban centres. Part of the proposed was for Santa Maria della Consolazione to be converted into a social housing project. However, to date, nothing has been done and the ex-convent stands derelict and forlorn.
2. The Explore
The first of a few reports of my explores from Campania and the Naples area this summer. Going to start with my favourite wander. While the family enjoyed beach at Salerno, I hiked up the hill to this former convent. I’d seen a few pictures of convent turned prison on the web so was hopeful I’d be able to have a look round it. With the front doors all heavily pad-locked up and the windows all benefitting from iron grills dating from its days as a prison, initially I wasn’t that hopefully. But as with many sites, things change if you can get round the side and/or down the back. In the end it was pretty much a walk-in after a brief scramble. The biggest challenge then was trying not to get lost in its labyrinthine corridors and how to take pictures in its low light without the benefit of a tripod.
In the end it, turned out to be a pretty interesting explore. Despite being empty, there were a number of interesting original features and a lot of rooms to look round. Online I’d read about an unfortunate group of local explorers who on a night-time trip had come across a Russian man who was sleeping rough in the convent. Shouting at them they beat a swift retreat and hurled rocks at then through the cell windows as they made their way back to the city. I found evidence of someone living in chapel but fortunately didn’t see a soul during the hour or so I spent in the complex.
3. The Pictures
On my way up, passed this place:
The passed this small, abandoned church. Sadly, no way in:
Then the front facade of convent looms up:
No way in from the front:
Soooo…round the back:
And we’re in:
img6793
And on one of the many corridors:
And grilled windows:
Fortunately, this door to the main block wasn’t locked:
So in we pop:
So many doors:
Love this original signage:
And this original religious ceiling mural in one of the small rooms:
On to a main corridor with cells off it:
And some pretty hefty doors:
Washing facilities:
Some daylight on offer here:
Peeling paint:
And a cracked mirror:
To be continued...
Located in the Campanian city of Salerno, the convent dates back to circa 1560. next to the pre-existing church and dedicated to Santa Maria della Consolazione and on the road that leads to the Arechi castle, it is close by to the convent of San Francesco. Consisting of 43 cells, a library and a workshop, documentation from 1650 indicates the land on which it was built was donated by the Capograsso family. Inhabited by 25 friars, the convent was central to the Capuchin monastic province of Basilicata-Salerno.
The Napoleonic Decree of 1807 subsequently saw a number of ecclesiastical buildings taken over by the State and repurposed for other uses. However, the convent survived for over half a century before in 1866 it was transformed into a women's prison. In continued in use as a prison until it was decommissioned and inmates moved to other prisons in the Salerno vicinity.
In July 2021, the municipality of Salerno received a loan of €8million euros from the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility as part of the national program aimed at redeveloping urban centres. Part of the proposed was for Santa Maria della Consolazione to be converted into a social housing project. However, to date, nothing has been done and the ex-convent stands derelict and forlorn.
2. The Explore
The first of a few reports of my explores from Campania and the Naples area this summer. Going to start with my favourite wander. While the family enjoyed beach at Salerno, I hiked up the hill to this former convent. I’d seen a few pictures of convent turned prison on the web so was hopeful I’d be able to have a look round it. With the front doors all heavily pad-locked up and the windows all benefitting from iron grills dating from its days as a prison, initially I wasn’t that hopefully. But as with many sites, things change if you can get round the side and/or down the back. In the end it was pretty much a walk-in after a brief scramble. The biggest challenge then was trying not to get lost in its labyrinthine corridors and how to take pictures in its low light without the benefit of a tripod.
In the end it, turned out to be a pretty interesting explore. Despite being empty, there were a number of interesting original features and a lot of rooms to look round. Online I’d read about an unfortunate group of local explorers who on a night-time trip had come across a Russian man who was sleeping rough in the convent. Shouting at them they beat a swift retreat and hurled rocks at then through the cell windows as they made their way back to the city. I found evidence of someone living in chapel but fortunately didn’t see a soul during the hour or so I spent in the complex.
3. The Pictures
On my way up, passed this place:
The passed this small, abandoned church. Sadly, no way in:
Then the front facade of convent looms up:
No way in from the front:
Soooo…round the back:
And we’re in:
And on one of the many corridors:
And grilled windows:
Fortunately, this door to the main block wasn’t locked:
So in we pop:
So many doors:
Love this original signage:
And this original religious ceiling mural in one of the small rooms:
On to a main corridor with cells off it:
And some pretty hefty doors:
Washing facilities:
Some daylight on offer here:
Peeling paint:
And a cracked mirror:
To be continued...
