San Filippino in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy was once a thriving community of Oratorian priests and laypeople. In the year 1600, these priests and lay people came together to perform charitable works, help young people, make friends, break bread, become better educated and deepen their faith.
They built a beautiful baroque chapel and a vibrant community center, complete with apartments to house resident teachers and traveling pilgrims.
Now we are restoring this building and this community center. We invite you to learn more about the inspiration for and the animating spirit of this place: Saint Philip Neri, the Oratorians and, mostly, the wonderful residents of Castiglion Fiorentino.
We invite you to stay informed about developments regarding this project by liking our Facebook page and signing up for updates below. We especially invite you to consider all the other ways you can connect us to other people who might be interested in supporting this cause.
Fundraising goals:
Phase 1: $40,000 - $50,000 -- COMPLETED
Phase 2: $500,000 (estimated)
Total fundraising goal remaining: $500,000
Project phases:
Phase I: Put on a new roof and patch holes in the walls and windows to keep out rain, birds and pests. This critical first step will prevent further deterioration of the building. Estimated cost for Phase I is between $40,000-$50,000 Euros. The Friends of San Filippino have already raised this money. We are simply waiting on a fully executed agreement with the Office of the Archbishop of Arezzo, which owns the building, to complete this work.
Phase II: Restore San Filippino to its original condition so that it can once again host religious and secular services benefitting the whole town, and so that local residents, tourists and art history lovers can appreciate all the beautiful features of this special place.
This phase includes repairing damaged floors and walls; updating the plumbing, electrical and other building infrastructure to modern standards; and creating flexible living and working quarters that will comfortably accommodate visiting priests, scholars, artists, pilgrims and donors.
Estimated cost for Phase II is approximately $500,000 Euros.