During a conversation with an Italian acquaintance—baptized Catholic but not particularly observant—I mentioned that an increasing number of churches in the United Kingdom have been sold and converted into mosques by Muslim communities. His reaction was one of near shock. “How could they?” he asked incredulously. “Such things could never happen here in Italy.”

In fact, he was correct: to date there are no widely documented cases in Italy of Catholic churches being sold to Muslim communities and converted into mosques in officially recognized contexts. Unlike certain English or French cities, where former churches have been repurposed as mosques or Islamic cultural centers, the situation in Italy remains significantly different due to historical, cultural, legal, and institutional factors.

In the United Kingdom, although still relatively uncommon, there are clear examples of former church buildings being used as mosques. For instance, the Shah Jalal Mosque in Cardiff occupies a building originally constructed as a Methodist chapel before being converted into a mosque in 1990 after the congregation moved out. In Watford, Hertfordshire, the former St Thomas’ United Reformed Church—closed due to structural problems—was purchased by the Ar‑Rahmah Trust to serve the growing local Muslim community. Furthermore, buildings such as the Madina Mosque in Horsham (a former chapel repurposed as a mosque) show that adaptive reuses of religious architecture do occur in the UK.

There have also been proposals that were blocked, such as plans to convert the disused St John the Evangelist Church in Stoke‑on‑Trent into a mosque, which were stopped by the Church of England through a restrictive covenant that prohibited non‑Christian worship in the building.

In France, too, former churches have been placed on the market and in some cases acquired by Muslim organizations. A well‑known case is the former Saint‑Jean de‑la‑Rive‑de‑Graulhet, which was converted into the Mosque Nour El‑Mouhammadi decades ago. Other churches, like the old Saint Christopher in Nantes, have also been reported as converted into Islamic centers. Such cases, while still exceptional relative to the total number of church buildings in France, illustrate that conversions have occurred elsewhere in Europe.

But why hasn’t this happened in Italy?
Several factors explain why Italy’s experience differs:
The Catholic Church’s continued stewardship: The Catholic hierarchy in Italy maintains a strong role in the management of its ecclesiastical properties. Even churches with declining congregations are rarely sold to private buyers; they are more often closed, transferred to other parish use, or repurposed as cultural or social spaces (e.g., concert halls, libraries).
Heritage protections: A large number of Italy’s churches are protected as cultural heritage sites, subject to strict preservation laws. Changing their intended use—especially for religious purposes outside Catholicism—is legally complex and generally discouraged.
Existing mosques mostly in other kinds of buildings: While Italy has many mosques and Islamic prayer spaces, the majority are situated in purpose‑built structures or converted commercial premises (warehouses, former stores), not in former Catholic churches.
Local controversies and regulatory limitations: In some towns, Muslim communities have struggled to obtain permission for mosque construction or conversion, resulting in mosque congregations gathering in public squares for daily prayers, sometimes leading to tensions over use of space and traffic disruption. (These dynamics have been reported in local debates, such as in Montefalcone.)

Italian political figures have explicitly stated opposition to churches being sold and converted into mosques. For example, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has affirmed that redundant churches should not be sold for conversion into mosques; at most, she has suggested they could be repurposed for secular community uses like libraries or cultural associations, a trend visible in many Italian city centres such as Lucca.

Within the Catholic Church itself, senior figures have also commented on the matter. Cardinal Ravasi has articulated reservations about simply turning unused churches into mosques, emphasizing the distinct identities of these places of worship and suggesting that where needed, new mosques should be built with appropriate conditions rather than by direct conversion of Catholic churches.

In short, while church‑to‑mosque conversions have occurred in parts of the UK and France—as documented by specific cases such as Cardiff’s Shah Jalal Mosque and Graulhet’s Nour El‑Mouhammadi Mosque—Italy remains largely free of such examples due to cultural heritage protections, the Catholic Church’s internal policies, and national attitudes toward religious property. This does not mean that discussions around the use of redundant churches will not arise in Italy; questions about selling to other Christian denominations (e.g., Protestant or evangelical groups) are likely to become more prevalent as religious diversity grows. However, the distinctive legal, historical, and institutional framework in Italy makes wholesale church‑to‑mosque conversions an unlikely development in the near future.

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