5 abandoned churches in Lombardy
Lombardy is best known for its large cities, industrial areas, and small villages. Yet, scattered throughout the region are religious buildings that have spanned centuries and are now abandoned or in serious disrepair.
Some are simple, small rural chapels; others are much more imposing buildings, born from ambitious, never-completed projects. In this article, we look at five abandoned churches and oratories in Lombardy , chosen not only for their decaying appearance, but above all for the stories they tell.
In this article
Basilica of the Most Holy Immaculate Conception – Merate
Among the most particular abandoned religious buildings in Lombardy is certainly the Basilica of the Santissima Immacolata in Merate , also known as the former Oratory of San Luigi.
Its history is unique because the building was born from a much more ambitious project than what we see today. The foundation stone was laid in 1906, and the project was entrusted to Spirito Maria Chiappetta , an architect and priest particularly active in the field of religious architecture.
The initial idea was to build a large basilica inspired by the Basilica of Lourdes. The project therefore envisioned a monumental construction, intended to become an important religious landmark in the area.
The problem arose with costs. Lack of funds led to the interruption of work, and the building was partially converted into an oratory, also used for theatrical and religious activities. For several decades, it continued to serve the local community.
In 1965, the Curia definitively abandoned the idea of completing the project. In 1970, the building passed to the Municipality of Merate, which used it first as a dog kennel and later as a storage facility for municipal vehicles. It was subsequently closed permanently.
Today, the structure is fenced off and not accessible to the public. Time, vegetation, and collapse have transformed what should have been a great Lombard basilica into one of the most peculiar abandoned buildings in Brianza.
Its history perfectly represents one of the most fascinating aspects of Urbex: a building that never managed to become what it was designed to be .
Church of Santa Maria of the Casterno Monastery
In Casterno, a hamlet of Robecco sul Naviglio, there is another example of religious architecture linked to Lombard rural history.
The Church of Santa Maria del Monastero di Casterno was part of a larger religious complex and bears witness to the historical presence of monastic communities in the area. Over time, the structure lost its original function, and the complex gradually deteriorated.
This is precisely the particular interest of the place: it is not simply an isolated old church, but a testimony to a religious and agricultural landscape that has changed profoundly over the centuries.
This phenomenon is common in many areas of Lombardy. The transformation of agriculture, the abandonment of some rural settlements, and the population's migration to urban centers have left behind numerous religious buildings that have lost their function.
Today, the structure is included in the list of abandoned cultural heritage sites registered by the Ministry of Culture, a situation that demonstrates how the problem of preserving these buildings remains relevant.
Sant'Anna in Castagnedo – Milan
This is probably one of the most striking examples on the entire list.
The small church of Sant'Anna in Castagnedo is located today in the southeastern outskirts of Milan, but its history belongs to a completely different landscape.
The building dates back to the 12th century and was originally an oratory dedicated to Santa Maria. It was linked to the ancient rural village of Castagnedo, when this area had nothing to do with modern Milan. It later passed to the nuns of the Umiliati and took the name of Sant'Anna.
For centuries, the oratory remained closely linked to the area's agricultural life. Then the city began to expand.
The farmhouses and rural landscape gradually disappeared, while new buildings appeared around the small church. The religious building thus remained a sort of fragment of a world long gone.
The church also housed important frescoes and works related to local devotion. Over time, however, these artefacts were destroyed or stolen, and the building gradually fell into ruin.
The deterioration is particularly evident today. The Ministry of Culture describes the structure as having been abandoned for a long time and in a very poor state of repair, with parts of the roof collapsing and vegetation gradually encroaching on the walls.
The most interesting thing is perhaps the contrast: a medieval building that has survived for centuries is now surrounded by contemporary Milan .
Sant'Anna in Castagnedo is therefore more than just an Urbex location. It is a tangible testament to how much the Milanese area has changed.
Gerra Church – Moglia
Moving to the province of Mantua we find a completely different example: the Church of Gerra , in the territory of Moglia.
Compared to the large structure of Merate, here we find ourselves in front of a small rural religious architecture.
The Ministry of Culture describes it as a small country church, characterized by a very simple structure, with a single nave, a gabled roof, and a terminal apse. The structure is now classified as a ruin .
It is precisely the simplicity of the building that makes it interesting.
There are no grand monumental facades or spectacular architectural designs. Instead, the Church of Gerra tells a much more common story: that of small religious structures that for generations were part of life in the Lombardy countryside and which, with the transformation of the landscape, gradually lost their function.
Today it remains a fragile architectural testimony, inserted in an area profoundly modified compared to the one in which the church was built.
It's also an example of how urbex doesn't necessarily have to coincide with large factories or monumental villas. Even a small rural building can tell an important part of a region's history.
The Church of the Moss – Mairano
Finally, among the most particular locations we find the one that in Urbex circles is called the “Chiesa del Moss” , associated with the Mairano area.
The name derives from one of the most characteristic elements of the building: the moss that has progressively covered the interior floor.
A photographic record published in 2025 describes a small abandoned church where the wooden pews, altar, and some religious statues are still recognizable. Vegetation and humidity, however, have completely altered the environment, creating the surreal appearance that gave rise to its peculiar nickname.
It's an interesting example of how nature can slowly reclaim a building.
The wood, masonry, and decorative elements remain, but the moss has transformed the floor and the interior atmosphere. The result is very different from what we normally associate with a church.
In this case, the charm of the location does not derive from the size or historical importance of the building, but above all from the relationship between architecture and nature .
And this is precisely one of the aspects that makes some small religious locations particularly interesting for Urbex photography.
Why are churches abandoned?
The abandonment of a church can have very different origins.
In some cases, the building is constructed but the project is never completed, as happened in Merate. In others, the structure gradually loses its function as the surrounding landscape changes.
This phenomenon is particularly evident in the countryside.
Small villages, farms, and rural settlements that once housed large communities began to lose residents during the twentieth century. As the population declined, the religious buildings associated with those communities also ceased to be used.
Added to this are the maintenance costs.
A historic church can be a large building, often protected by a protected heritage site and built with techniques and materials that make restoration very expensive. If financial resources or a concrete reuse plan aren't available, the deterioration can become progressive.
In other cases, urban transformation ends up completely isolating the building from its original context, as happened in Sant'Anna in Castagnedo.
These situations explain why in Lombardy it is possible to find medieval churches, small rural oratories and large religious buildings from the twentieth century united by the same fate: the loss of their original function .
Conclusions
The abandoned churches of Lombardy tell very different stories.
The Basilica of the Most Holy Immaculate Conception in Merate illustrates a monumental project that was never completed. Sant'Anna in Castagnedo, on the other hand, recounts the disappearance of an ancient rural village engulfed by the growth of Milan. The Church of Gerra represents the fragility of small religious buildings in the countryside, while the Church of the Moss particularly clearly demonstrates the relationship between nature and abandoned buildings.
These places also demonstrate that an Urbex location isn't just interesting for what's inside. The real story is often that of the building, the land, and the people who used it before it was forgotten.
For this reason, knowing the history of a location can be as important as photographing it.
Note: Abandoned buildings do not mean they are freely accessible. Some of the structures cited are fenced off, unsafe, private, or under conservation. This article is for informational and historical purposes only and does not provide guidance on unauthorized access.
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