Pasolini's Chia tower put up for sale by heirs, Italy steps in

The heirs of Pier Paolo Pasolini have listed the Torre di Chia, a 42-meter pentagonal tower in the medieval village of Chia, Soriano nel Cimino, Viterbo province, for €800,000 on immobiliare.com. Pasolini purchased the property in 1970 after falling in love with it during the 1964 filming of 'The Gospel According to Matthew.' He wrote parts of 'Petrolio' and 'Lutheran Letters' there and commissioned architect Dante Ferretti to build an adjacent house with a studio and painting atelier. The estate includes a 185 sqm main residence, a 55 sqm dependance, and 12,000 sqm of land. Since 2017, it has been part of the 'Dimore Storiche del Lazio' network. The listing vaguely mentions its illustrious past but omits Ferretti's role. Citing high maintenance costs, the family decided to sell. In response, Lazio Region President Nicola Zingaretti initiated talks with MiBACT for site protection, and Minister Dario Franceschini reportedly ordered a technical inspection to consider state acquisition.