Introduction

An invasion of mysterious bugs, the discovery of hundreds of skeletons in the backyard and occasional visitations from a ghost who smoked Marlboro Lights weren't what I had in mind when I dreamed of owning a home in Tuscany.

My search for a quaint country house in move-in condition near Florence instead led to the purchase of an abandoned church we referred to as "The Italian Money Pit." New York Times notable author, Dario Castagno, describes "Altared: A Tale of Renovating a Medieval Church in Tuscany" as "a heartfelt chronical of an unforeseen connection to a crumbling church and apartment. It's a tongue-in-cheek collection of some of the zaniest local characters - their tics, attitudes, ways, and weaknesses." The church's before and after story entitled "A Classical Epiphany" appeared in the March 2010 issue of Architectural Digest."

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Excerpt

“A hard rain drove through the open rafters, trickling down the ancient, plastered walls and gathering in puddles around the bare cement altar. It had been pouring for days in Tuscany, with harsh winds bending the brittle limbs of the olive trees and endless rivers of water rushing down the vineyard rows. I stood in the center of the roofless ruin with an umbrella, soaked to the bone, praying for a break in the weather. “What was I thinking?” had become my constant refrain since renovation began on the ancient chiesa, or church. Destined to become a living room at some point in my natural lifetime, it was hard to imagine the space, fully open to the elements, becoming livable in the forseeable future. Why I had been drawn to buy a church in Italy was still a mystery to me, and the place seemed to have taken on a life of its own. The endless red tape and setbacks felt like I had stepped into cultural quicksand, and I was in way over my head.” view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. What would inspire a seemingly normal American woman to purchase a ruined medieval church in Tuscany?

2. What is an ossuary, and why is it a bad thing to have that in your backyard?

3. What is the best way to deal with a ghost who smokes, likes to use your phone at odd times during the night and haunts you and your guests?

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