Abandoned churches in Europe
There are many reasons why churches are left to crumble. French photographer Francis Meslet explores former places of worship in his book "Abandoned Churches."
Crypt in Italy, 20th century
It has been a while since the above crypt in Italy's northwestern region of Liguria saw a communion. It is one of the abandoned churches French photographer Francis Meslet documented from 2012 to 2019 for his illustrated book "Abandoned Churches." To protect the sites from vandalism, he doesn't disclose the exact location of the churches he finds in castles, hospitals or on private estates.
Abandoned Churches
Church buildings across Europe are often no longer needed. Some places of worship are sold and converted into private homes, fitness centers or guest houses. In France alone, where Meslet shot this church for the cover of his book, one church per year has been demolished since 2000. More than 100 religious buildings lost their function in 2019 because there simply were not enough worshipers.
Crematorium in Germany, 20th century
This crematorium in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt could be used as a setting in a horror movie. Located in a cemetery, it was once one of the most modern crematoria in Germany. It has not been in operation since the 1990s.
Monastery church in Italy, 17th and 19th century
Francis Meslet presents unknown gems — some magnificent, some plain. This small baroque monastery church in the Italian region of Umbria was abandoned by the monks after the area was hit by an earthquake. The wooden benches are rotting and the roof tiles have crashed through the ceiling.
Chapel in Belgium, 19th century
There is not much left that recalls a place of worship in this small chapel, the "only surviving building in this area, near a huge working quarry; the kind of quarry that leaves a thick cloud of white dust for several kilometers around," Meslet wrote in his book. He recalled that when he parked his car in a gravel parking lot churned up by construction vehicles, all he saw was white.
Chapel in France, 18th/19th century
Faced with limited budgets, many small congregations don't have the means to maintain their churches. If they have to choose, small villages will likely repair the school roof instead of the dilapidated church.
Chapel in a Catholic College in France, 19th century
This chapel, built in the 19th century for a Catholic school in the Loire Valley, France, was also abandoned. Churches reflect the era in which they were built: In the Romanesque period, they were designed as intimate strongholds, as a sign of the peace of God; the tall windows of the Gothic period symbolized Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Baroque period invented the exuberant sacred stage.
Church in France, 13th century
Francis Meslet photographed several hundred decaying places of worship. Many are located in the countryside, which faces a declining number of believers because people have moved to the city. This small Gothic chapel in Burgundy, France, is covered by a layer of dust, but the statue of Mary looks on, unperturbed.
Crypt in Portugal, 14th century
Meslet asked authors, scientists, lecturers, historians, composers, interpreters and artists to write short, associative texts about the sites he discovered. "I've already seen this image in a dream; not this one precisely, but a similar one," wrote Michel Cloup, a Toulouse musician, about the photo of a crypt in a Lisbon monastery.
Chapel in France, 13th century
"The churches are withdrawing, only to die," Meslet wrote about the buildings he discovered, none of them grand sacred buildings, but rather quiet places of prayer. Attracted by what he calls their "poetry," the photographer wanted to show them before they are eventually torn down, like so many other churches before them.