Italy officially handed over to Russia the Russian courtyard in the city of Bari

The Italian authorities handed over to Russia the architectural complex "Compound of the Russian Orthodox Church in the city of Bari."

“In Rome, the signing of the transfer of the Russian Federation of the architectural complex“ Compound of the Russian Orthodox Church in the city of Bari, ”Viktor Khrekov, press secretary of the department of the President of the Russian Federation, told the Interfax agency.

On the Russian side, he noted, the Act of the transfer was signed by the manager of the affairs of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kozhin, with the Italian - the head of the State Real Estate Agency of the Ministry of Economic Development and Finance of Italy M. Prato.

V. Khrekov said that the complex with a total area of ​​8 thousand square meters. M includes the "strange house" and the temple of St. Nicholas.

"The complex is intended for use solely for the purpose of religious activities and for taking pilgrims," ​​V. Khrekov emphasized.

Recall that the fundamental agreement on the transfer of a religious complex with the Church of St. Nicholas Russia was reached during the Italo-Russian summit in Bari in March 2007. On November 22, 2007, during the stay of the then Prime Minister Romano Prodi, an intergovernmental statement was accepted in Moscow about the intent in which the Italian government has undertook the obligations of the gratuitous transfer of the complex.

According to the signed act, the Bari mayor's office receives the premises of the Rossani barracks in the city center, as well as 13 million euros for their reconstruction.

The complex of the Church of St. Nicholas was laid in 1913 and was built according to the project of academician Alexei Schusev in 1918 for folk money by decision of Emperor Nicholas II, who visited the city of the saint, the name of which he bears.

The church was nationalized in 1937 by decree of Benito Mussolini and submitted to the city hall of the city of Bari.

The city of Bari is one of the most visited by the Orthodox pilgrims on the Apennines, who come to bow to the relics of the St. Nicholas the Wonderworker so revered by all Christians.