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The Former CRI Complex and Convent of St Francis in Fara in Sabina: From Friary to Sanatorium, a History of Transformations
On a hill facing the village of Fara in Sabina stands a building complex that has undergone many changes of use over the centuries. It began in 1594 as a Franciscan friary of the Regular Observance, built on the site of a small church dedicated to St Blaise. In the early 20th century, Senator Emilio Maraini — a Swiss entrepreneur who owned a sugar refinery in Rieti — restored it, and on his death bequeathed it to the Italian Red Cross (CRI). In 1939 it became a preventorium: a residential institution for children from families affected by tuberculosis, where they received medical care and primary schooling. Queen Elena of Italy attended the inauguration.
Making an Economy for the Village
For decades the preventorium was the principal source of employment for the people of Fara in Sabina. When it closed in 1967, the complex continued its life as a summer “colony” or camp for the children of Red Cross employees, then as a depot and operational centre for the Military Corps. Today it has been abandoned for over twenty years.
A Possible Future
The complex — standing on 18 hectares, with two main historic buildings, and eleven smaller structures — is state-owned. In 2024 the Agenzia del Demanio and the municipal council signed an agreement for its regeneration: the plan is to turn it into a culture and hospitality hub, drawing on its panoramic position and the climate of Sabina.
