(ZENIT News / Rome, 17.09.2024).- A dispute over the ownership of one of the most iconic monuments of Rome, has generated a small diplomatic storm between Italy and France. While Pope Francis was on a pastoral journey to Asia and Oceania a ruling of the French Court of Accounts cast doubt on Italy’s sovereignty over the famous Spanish Steps and the adjacent Trinità dei Mont church in Piazza di Spagna.
The ”Spanish Steps”: a French Jewel in the Heart of Rome?
The French Court’s ruling insinuated that France, not Italy or the Vatican, might be the owner of this emblematic place, a key symbol of the Roman landscape. The Steps, known as “Scalinata” in Italian and as the Escalera Espańola in Spanish, connects Piazza di Spagna with the
Trinità dei Monti church. It is one of the most visited sites of Rome.
This announcement wasn’t well received in Italy. In fact, it triggered a strong reaction by Italian politicians and citizens, who consider ridiculous the idea that such a representative monument of their cultural patrimony can belong to another country. “It’s absurd,” wrote an influential Italian politician on the social networks, insinuating that if this were the case, Italy could claim several “stolen” goods now exhibited in the Louvre of Paris.
The Historical Complexities Behind the Dispute
The confusion arises from a series of international agreements that go back to the 17th century, when France began to administrate a series of ecclesiastical properties in Rome. Among these properties are five churches, including Trinità dei Monti and San Luigi dei Francesi, famous religious enclosure that houses masterworks of the painter Caravaggio.
The historical connection with France extends as well to the Spanish Steps, whose design was financed by King Louis XV of France and carried out by a French architect, between 1723 and 1725. Nevertheless, experts point out that, notwithstanding this French heritage, the church and the Steps are on Italian soil and do not enjoy extraterritorial status in International Law.
A Report That Reveals Management Problems
The French Court’s ruling not only cast doubt on the ownership but also revealed serious deficiencies in the management of properties administered by the “Pieux Établissements de la France à Rome” Foundation, under the supervision of the French Embassy in Italy. The Report criticized the “opacity” in the taking of decisions and mentioned cases of embezzlement of funds, lack of maintenance and acquisition problems.
One of the points that sparked most controversy was the use of a building linked to the Trinità dei Monti church, which originally was entrusted to a Community of French nuns to run a school for girls. Today, this building is occupied by an expensive Italian private school in which only three percent of the student body is foreign, which contradicts the original spirit of the agreement.
France Reacts and Promises Solutions
In response to the Court’s criticisms, the “Pieux Établissements de la France à Rome” Foundation issued a press release in which it affirmed that many of the problems pointed out have already been solved. According. to the Foundation, at present the norms are followed in purchases, rentals are fixed in keeping with market conditions and a full inventory is being carried out with the aid of a new software system.
The diplomatic tensions notwithstanding, the majority of legal observers agree that, although France can have the right to review the management of the properties under its administration, it cannot claim full ownership of these properties. The sovereignty over the Trinità dei Monti church and the Spanish Steps continues to belong to the Vatican or to the Italian State.
Beyond Ownership: The Spiritual Legacy
Today, the Trinità dei Monti church is under the care of the Emanuel Community, a Catholic organization founded in France in 1972. This group has kept alive the spiritual mission of the place, which continues to be a point of reference for tourists and pilgrims alike.
Meanwhile, the dispute between France and Italy over the ownership of this architectural treasure poses interesting questions about the preservation of historical patrimony in a globalized world. Although the problem has yet to be resolved definitively, what is certain is that the Spanish Steps will continue to be a symbol of beauty and the cultural legacy of Rome, regardless of who holds the title of ownership.
With information from the Catholic Herald
