Monastero di San B #01
Located on top of a hill somewhere in Italy, there is a former monastery that has just been sitting empty for almost 30 years now. It is a puzzling place with an obscure history. While it was used as orphan asylum and seminary before it shut down, today it is haunted by nocturnal ghostbusters and sometimes also Satanists holding black masses inside. Large parts of the building are still in pristine condition, so why did they just leave? Join us, and take a look under the layer of dust before the last memories of this centuries-old masonry fade for good.
Monastero di San B #08
The chapel of this place is in remarkable condition! It is even more impressive when you consider that the building complex has been deserted since the 90s. It is hard to believe that something like this was just left to rot. Nowadays, this is not a house of God anymore. People coming to pray here today are worshipping the devil. In local news, you often hear reports about black masses and satanic rituals in the middle of the night. Apparently, God has left the place long ago together with the last dwellers. We heard about this only after our exploration, and to be honest, we were surprised. Because there are no satanic symbols in the church. It is not vandalism that is destroying this place but neglect.
Monastero di San B #28
Most parts are just empty today. And some others are close to collapse after decades of deterioration. Rooms and hallways are deserted. When people left, they took most of the furniture with them. These empty spaces have an eerie vibe you can't escape.
Monastero di San B #12
Before this complex became a training place for young boys it was a monastery for most of its time. The Catholic chapel that was secluded and only surrounded by forests was renovated and extended. The architecture always remained simple and functional which is quite typical for monastic orders such as this one which had taken a vow of poverty. They were taking over this place in the 17th Century. Then only one hundred years ago, this structure was turned into a seminary and orphanage. It was operating until the 90s, and eventually shut down.
Monastero di San B #04
The chapel you can see on this photo is located on the upper floors of the main building, next to the dormitory and classrooms. In the 19th Century, it was completely painted with frescoes.
Monastero di San B #05
The cloister is richly ornamented on each side. Detailed frescoes once told about the lives of the saints. But being exposed to wind and weather without any maintenance has defaced many of the artfully created pictures. Some of them got completely distorted by moss and mold. What they display now is different. In fact, new images have been created. But what are they showing?
Monastero di San B #06
The complex was gradually closed. Every year, there were fewer students in the seminary until the residual ones were moved to another institution around 30 years ago. Of course, it is not a typical child's dream job to become a priest when they grow older, but there are also other rumors why this site was forced to close down. We do not know how the boys had been treated here, but apparently not always in an appropriate way. When the last occupants left, they did not even lock the place. The buildings remained accessible for everyone, which is why the obligatory ghost hunters and Satanists feel very welcome here.
Monastero di San B #21
It took a while before the town realized that this is part of their cultural and religious legacy. But it is just impossible to keep intruders and vandals away. The property is too outlying, and there are countless access points. There is a current owner, but he does not really care. He wants to sell it for a couple of millions. And this is where the town wants to take action. To save their heritage, they want to start a crowdfunding project. Since renovation is very costly, they are fine with starting to just preserve the houses. From that point onward, there are many ideas of how to use this place in the future. But now, they should not wait longer, and just start. The condition of this place is not getting any better on its own.
Monastero di San B #02
We actually slept of the roof of this building. If you are interested in learning more about this place and see all of it just watch our exploration on Youtube:
