Attempted Arson at Historic Church Felizzano

Case information
Incident date
Country
Italy
Place
Felizzano
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Arson
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Lack of Other Motive
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
  • Victim/Witness Perception
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated

Unknown individuals attempted to set fire to the main door of Felizzano’s 16th‑century Church of San Rocco, prompting a police investigation.

The parish priest of Felizzano reported an attempted arson attack on the Church of San Rocco, a 16th‑century building located near the town cemetery. The incident occurred on the morning of 14 February, when unidentified individuals ignited the church’s main wooden door. The fire blackened the exterior and filled the interior with smoke, but no structural damage beyond the door was recorded.

Don Claudio Pistarino, the parish priest, stated, “I was alerted by some residents who live nearby. I immediately ran to the site; there was a flame on the door, which we extinguished at once,” he said. He informed the Carabinieri and the municipal administration and planned to formalise a complaint. Investigators were expected to review surveillance cameras in the area to identify those responsible.

The priest described the impact on the parish community and the building. “There is great bitterness because it is an ancient church; the damage is both moral and artistic. Fortunately, inside there was only smoke and no further damage,” he noted.

Sources