Contemporary religious architecture in Italy and the experience of the Italian Episcopal Conference in its Promotion

Abstract

Ten years have passed since the Italian Episcopal Conference opened the way for an important cultural operation - specifically to promote architectural quality in the field of ecclesiastical building - which, without a doubt, will have an impact on the quality of architecture in general. It has been an initiative that had no precedent in the history of the Church in Italy and which, I believe, is unparalleled in any other part of the world.

The Permanent Episcopal Council of the Italian Episcopal Conference-henceforth I will use the acronym CEI-takes, in the spring of 1997, the decision to promote three competitions each year to project as many parochial complexes, one for each geographical area -north, center and south- of the national territory. The "Progetto Pilota" contest -it was baptized the initiative- was born with the aim of stimulating - precisely, piloting - the 226 Italian dioceses to project and carry out with greater competence and care the churches and buildings destined for pastoral activity.

With this initiative, the CEI has tried to draw the attention of the dioceses to some fundamental problematic points.