thanks for all your efforts Hecate!
However, after a few weeks I found out that, when Mr Russo talked with the notary, he denied to provide the information we were looking for, on the ground that it is personal data. At the same time though, he said he would give it if we paid him an advance, and insisted that we must keep in mind that he won't accept anything less than 1.500.000, etc. His reaction completely confused the notary, since there seemed to be a serious contradiction between my message and Mr Russo's attitude.
This seems to be the crux of the whole matter - the ownership cannot be determined. I believe that this is what has prevented the sale of the house in the past, and may continue to do so. Nor, sadly, does Mr Russo sound the most reliable of people.
Is there no main registry for property where the ownership can be checked?
Hi Michael!
Yes, Michael, there is; but we need to know the owners' name and age and the exact address of the house.
Unfortunately, we have none of the above information yet.
Regards
Hecate
Hi,
I'm not sure it actually has an address; as the roads it is surrounded by, were built long after it had fallen into disrepair. However, I should have thought it some thing like:
Villa Santa Barbara, Contrada Santa Barbara, Cefalu.
With regards to the names of the current owners, perhaps a clue can be found in RTC's Thelema Revisited, as he lists the original inheritors of the building. I suppose it depends on whether you can search on address alone. Perhaps the records for Sicily aren't so accessible.
He suggested that it's better to buy another property nearby and build a replica of the Abbey and, perhaps, try to get the murals and place them there (which I doubt that is possible to do with the current owners).
I think that rather a good idea. The design of the villa seems to be quite standard, so perhaps it wouldn't be too hard. Obviously the original is more preferable, but the main issue with the current owners seems rather difficult to resolve.
Some time ago, I did actually make a request to an Italian estate agents who were supposed to be handling the sale of the building......to be honest, they seemed very keen to point me in the direction of other properties, and away from that of the Abbey.....I think they were just using it to attract customers to the area, so they could sell them something else.
Best,
M
Somehow I thought that we, in the USA, had more expensive building expenses than, say, a rather small villa in, say, Sicily. I guess I am wrong. Taking the lower of the estimated figures (300.000 euros = $392,760 US Dollars), I see that the cost of living, er, building, is considerably more over there.
For example, here in New Mexico (which admittedly is a rather inexpensive area), full-sized, 3-bedroom houses with 2 full bathrooms and a 2-car garage, and all the modern underground utilities (electric, water, natural gas, telephone) were recently being built for $85,000. What with the depression, these houses are being sold at just about their original buiding cost.
There are Several available in this price range, and here's an example ...
This example is 21% the cost of something similar in Sicily, maybe not even similar because the US house has all underground utilities and even a WARRANTY!
I don't mean to derail this thread, but I do mean to question the financial equivalents.
Perhaps someone can explain the vast difference in monetary scale?
I am going to New Mexico.
The cost and availability of building plots must be a big factor. W Europe is simply running out of space.
The cost and availability of building plots must be a big factor. W Europe is simply running out of space.
OK, I can understand that. But if the same land is purchased and the present Abbey is rebuilt/restored, then the cost goes up to 500.000 Euros ($652,950 US Dollars). Apparently, it is cheaper to buy NEW land and build a NEW reproduction than it is to keep the old/present Abbey and fix it up.
And then we have to consider the outrageously high price that the owner is asking (insisting upon - there doesn't seem to be a negotiatory attitude). I ran a search for "real estate sicily" and came up with this little item that is (more or less) comparable with the Abbey - but it's in a LOT better shape ...
And it's only 80.000 Euros ($104,472 US Dollars) and that's NEGOTIABLE! 😮
Which means that they'll probably take less.
You can do your own search of "real estate sicily" ... and then you can stratch your head and say "WTF?" ???
My guess is, the guy is trying to charge out the ass for the same reason some people want to preserve it, ie. cause Crowley lived there. Doesn't mean he is (or is not) "right", or "fair", or "just" though.
OK, I can understand that. But if the same land is purchased and the present Abbey is rebuilt/restored, then the cost goes up to 500.000 Euros ($652,950 US Dollars). Apparently, it is cheaper to buy NEW land and build a NEW reproduction than it is to keep the old/present Abbey and fix it up.
Good find Shiva. Moreover, buying a place a few miles out of Cefalu, would be more in keeping with the original spirit i.e. the slightly isolated location of the Abbey. The current Abbey is now unhappily surrounded by other flats, a football stadium, other houses etc. So it bears very little resemblance to the way it was in Crowley's day.
A replica would certainly not as good as the original, but I think the current owner (if they are the legal owner - and I have my doubts) would prefer to see the place collapse than miss out on a single euro.
My guess is, the guy is trying to charge out the ass for the same reason some people want to preserve it, ie. cause Crowley lived there. Doesn't mean he is (or is not) "right", or "fair", or "just" though.
He does seem to be wholly motivated by greed. I guess once the place really starts collapsing, and there is no longer any apparent reason to buy it, he will become a little more 'flexible'.
To me the only value of the villa is in the paintings that remain on the walls. Have they been completely catalogued and photographed? How have they deteriorated since Kenneth Anger uncovered them, and have more been uncovered? In other words, what is left to preserve?
Remember that, in addition to being in a completely different neighbourhood (surrounding conditions) to what it once had, it was also completely renovated by a previous owner and turned into two apartments. It doesn't really reflect the atmosphere of the heyday of the Abbey.
Judging from Hecate's comments, I don't trust Mr. Russo. He might be selling the Brooklyn Bridge for all we know.
If there is a "middle way", I'd focus on the art. Either removing it and preserving it, or just cataloguing it scientifically and publishing it attractively.
Have they been completely catalogued and photographed?
In part, by RT Cole, but not in their totality (see below).
How have they deteriorated since Kenneth Anger uncovered them, and have more been uncovered? In other words, what is left to preserve?
The problem is that the paintings, after being uncovered by Anger, were top-half painted in the 1980s with thick green oil based paint - so it is not possible to appreciate them in full and as originally intended. Also, the walls are plaster and porous so they are effectively crumbling away.
>it was also completely renovated by a previous owner and turned into two apartments.
These changes were minor, and are largely reversible.
Would it be possible to have an artist re-create those murals in the proposed new Abbey?
Would it be possible to have an artist re-create those murals in the proposed new Abbey?
Would be a great project. And certainly the bottom half of the frescos...but no one really knows what the top half - i.e. covered by the green paint - looks like! Apparently Kenneth Anger took some tracings in the 1950's, so that might be the way to go.
This could be the new abbey:-
(sorry error!)
Looks like it has a decent yard too.
I think most of us are missing the point of the "Save the Abbey" Campaign. It was to generate awareness for the actual Abbey and a possible brokering of a decent ownership/lease arrangement, with grant aid possibly. All these "Pie in the Sky" options of alternative properties around €80,000 is going to be funded by who?
It was obvious form Anna's hard work and determination that the monetary response from the Thelemic community was severely lacking. Truth is, it will crumble, when who knows and I very much doubt a alternative dwelling will be a reality either.
Instead shouldn't we be concentrating on what Kenneth Anger actually has in the way of traces of the murals, that Belmurru/Michaelclarke18, so astutely mentioned.
I think most of us are missing the point of the "Save the Abbey" Campaign. It was to generate awareness for the actual Abbey and a possible brokering of a decent ownership/lease arrangement, with grant aid possibly. All these "Pie in the Sky" options of alternative properties around €80,000 is going to be funded by who?
I actually love the idea of having a place like that in Sicily. I might buy it myself!
It was obvious form Anna's hard work and determination that the monetary response from the Thelemic community was severely lacking. Truth is, it will crumble, when who knows and I very much doubt a alternative dwelling will be a reality either.
Yup, I don't see the question of ownership being resolved anytime soon. This is also the single thing that has killed off all previous attempts at preservation.
Instead shouldn't we be concentrating on what Kenneth Anger actually has in the way of traces of the murals, that Belmurru/Michaelclarke18, so astutely mentioned.
I have made a few attempts to contact K Anger about this, but he seems rather elusive.
Oh, I doubt that "most of us" are missing the point. 😮
The point is that it would be neat to purchase the Abbey and restore it.
The reality is that the owner wants 17x its actual value - if it had a solid roof!
A further reality is that restoring the dump would be about 6x the cost of buying a similar "Abbey" with an intact roof.
Personally, I looked up and showed comparable prices in the area just to demonstrate the derangement of the owner.
Personally (again), I think the purchase of a similar house that would act as a substitute Abbey is ridiculous. Why bother? It would never be the real thing.
It only seems like "some of us" are missing the point because the conversation is drifting off-topic from "Save the Abbey" to "What else can we do since it seems the matter is bogged down."
Further inquiry into and examination of the paintings is also slightly off-topic as it's not about Saving the Abbey, but is about researching the pics.
I think "we" should still try to Save the Abbey (but who will pay for that? :- )
and "we" should still try to pin down the ID and location of the pics.
Oh, "we" doesn't necessarily include "me," but I'm not opposed to Thelemites in general pursuing these goals. You know how it works: Check with your Angel and do your "True Will."
I do love your way with words Shiva. I stand corrected. "some", not "most". Yes, it was myself that went slightly off topic.
Maybe not about "Saving the Abbey" itself but part of its contents. Related? yes, to me anyways.
At least we can agree on that and the Abbey sadly not being able to be saved due to your aforementioned points.
Continue in the Great Work Shiva! 🙂
Paul - That other thread (about your construction of the Virtual Abbey) is the one I hope to see bear fruit. (Not that Save the Abbey should not bear fruit).
Hrm, why not purchase the murals/the walls they are on, and use them to start a Museum of Thelema, or something?
Oh, right. The miser would probably want double the value of the house and land just to do that.
The Virtual Abbey could well become a wonderful resource. The physical Abbey is rotting. Boleskine remains.
Owner and Editor
LAShTAL
The Virtual Abbey could well become a wonderful resource. The physical Abbey is rotting. Boleskine remains.
Boleskine remains, but I suspect that it would be easier to spend the night in the rotting Villa Santa Barbara than it would be to even knock on the door of Boleskine House.
Boleskine remains, but I suspect that it would be easier to spend the night in the rotting Villa Santa Barbara than it would be to even knock on the door of Boleskine House.
The dogs would have got you, long before you'd have had the chance to knock at the door - believe me!
It's a private house - you can forget going there.
It's a private house - you can forget going there.
And that's the way it should be. It was a quality Bed & Breakfast for several years: long enough for the owner to realise that there was very little interest, among paying guests at least, and that the Page fans outnumbered those with an interest in AC.
It continues to survive and thrive precisely because self-professed Thelemites don't visit. Look what they've done to the Abbey.
Owner and Editor
LAShTAL
True story.
It continues to survive and thrive precisely because self-professed Thelemites don't visit. .
But what is the point in it surviving if no one can get access to it? It might just as well have been bulldozed and an entirely new building put in it's place, as it makes little or no difference to anyone. It could have been substantially altered already, and no-one would know.
Look what they've done to the Abbey
You seem to be saying that Thelemites are pure vandals. There has been some minor vandalism, but that's probably the local kids; but I cannot imagine any 'real' Thelemite behaving in that way. All I have seen is a minor amount of graffiti on some of the walls and some minor gouging. What nature and the elements have done is far worse, and this process continues.
The Abbey is falling down due to the inactivity, greed and the mess surrounding the question of ownership - that is the one single thing standing in the way of any restoration work - and there have been many attempts over the years to preserve the abbey, but alas to no avail, due to the question of ownership.
Perhaps what Paul is telling us is that if you want even the slightest hope of visiting Boleskine, don't profess yourself a Thelemite.
I agree with what Michael Clarke has said. For Boleskine, I imagine it continues to survive and thrive because it is a large, beautiful property on Loch Ness. It is a house worth owning. Judging from what you can see on Google Maps, it is pretty much as isolated as it ever was - no encroachment of other houses near it, no stadiums or shopping centres...
The demise of the Cefalù villa is not due to the Thelemites (whether self-professed or fully accredited), but to the neglect of its owners. They alone have the power to prevent the degradation of the building and the site. Vandalism would not occur if the owners cared.
I agree with what Michael Clarke has said. For Boleskine, I imagine it continues to survive and thrive because it is a large, beautiful property on Loch Ness. It is a house worth owning. Judging from what you can see on Google Maps, it is pretty much as isolated as it ever was - no encroachment of other houses near it, no stadiums or shopping centres...
The demise of the Cefalù villa is not due to the Thelemites (whether self-professed or fully accredited), but to the neglect of its owners. They alone have the power to prevent the degradation of the building and the site. Vandalism would not occur if the owners cared.
Just an off-hand thought, but - what owner... house owner, land owner, etc. would not care to such a degree?
I mean, when they were building the stadium, or whatever else they built around there, and if the owner didn't care about the property, wouldn't it make sense to sell off the property, let the buyers tear it down, and make a parking lot out of it, or whatever? Would such a move not have paid solid money? Wouldn't that have been the prime time to cash in?
Or, if the owner(s) were interested in keeping it for historic purposes, wouldn't they welcome people offering to show up and completely refurbish the place at no cost to them?
It just doesn't add up. I'm beginning to wonder if the land/building isn't owned by the Italian government, with Hecate's correspondent being no more than a figurehead for it.
It may be far-fetched, but possibly worth considering at this point.
Greetings!
Last Friday, we closed a significant circle of our life:
Following a decision taken by the general assembly of the members a month ago, the non-profit organization "Entelechy" suspended its workings.
The decision was taken due to the pressure of the financial crisis and the grueling taxing. However, I'd say that the real reason was that the current organization manifested its potential to the fullest possible extent, and it was time to close that circle, in order to make room in our lives for something new.
Our small group, more mature than ever, will keep working informally from now on - and we are all happy about it.
Personally speaking, I am glad that I am now free from the responsibilities of the organization, while at the same time being among people with whom I share a deep spiritual relationship and a long, interesting journey on the inner path. I do feel very grateful for their presence in my life.
During the last 4.5 years, through our continuing efforts, we achieved some interesting results, mostly regarding teaching and training people in Reiki and Channeling (without charge) and also regarding certain aspects of our inner path which, since they are not directly related to this thread, I won’t mention in detail.
This thread is about the Abbey of Thelema and I logged in just in order to write this last update and let you know that Ι wrote to the Mayor of Cefalu in November, asking for information about the owners of the property. We have not received a reply yet.
As I mentioned above, our group will be working informally from now on. Had I any indication that there is a slight chance to take things a bit further, I would have fought to keep the c.n.p.o. running – but I can’t see any chance for us now.
I don’t wish to start pointing fingers or anything, so I will merely say that, in my opinion, the restoration of the Abbey will be possible only when the majority of the Thelemites decide to leave aside their differences and work together for the sake of Thelema and AC’s legacy.
I still believe that a Thelemic Amphictyony would be the ideal frame for that sort of cooperation: the representatives of all the Thelemic groups would meet every now and then, in order to discuss and work together, not only for the restoration and the further maintenance and operation of the Museum of the Abbey of Thelema, but also for other significant issues regarding the protection of the legacy of Aleister Crowley.
But this is one of those ideas that take years and years to bear fruits, and I am afraid that it would take much more than a small c.n.p.o. to raise the awareness of the Thelemic community on this subject.
Now, please allow me to share a few thoughts of mine regarding the Abbey of Thelema.
I believe that the significance of saving and restoring the Abbey can be deeply understood by the ones who have some experience of pioneering team work. Apparently, the experiment of the Abbey was not “successful” in the sense of the achievement of a clear and definite breakthrough.
Nevertheless, what makes the Abbey extremely significant is the fact that it became the theater of the struggles of a group of people to ground and to apply a truly pioneering philosophy in their everyday life.
Yes, Aleister Crowley was far from being a ‘Saint’; yes, the members of the group manifested a behavior that many find hard to accept; but have you ever tried to help, and motivate people in order to get them involved with a pioneering work? If you did, you must have seen how difficult it is for one to communicate one’s ideas to others and help them overcome their inherent inertia.
I think that, when one talks about the deeds of a group, one should have in mind that those deeds are not solely the achievements of the group’s leader; those deeds are the manifestations of the collective mind of the group, that is to say, a co-creation of all the participants. Have you ever thought how much effort is needed in order to create a new path for others to walk, and set a paradigm of a new way of thinking? One cannot create a new path unless one walk on the dirt himself, and fall and rise, again and again, and still keep “Going” (like a God) despite the adversities one meets on the inner and the outer fields.
I believe that AC took the work of the group as far as he could, under the given circumstances and the available stuff. And they all did their best, within the limits of their human nature, in the time frame of the first quarter of the 20th century.
I am not aware of any other similar experiment in our days; but then, if we cannot work this out for ourselves, in our days, how can we think that they were "unsuccessful”?
What I see there, is the struggle of the Human Spirit to achieve higher and higher levels of self awareness - and I am proud of them. I only wish that more people would dare to take the challenge and move further than that.
Concluding this post, I’d like to say that, I wish I could do something more for the Abbey, however I had to let go and trust the energy of Life itself. And now I am filled with joy, as if I hold a basket full of gifts in my arms, a chest filled with loads of valuable experiences that I'll cherish in my heart forever!
It was a precious journey and I'd like to thank everyone who supported this work, directly or indirectly. I had the honor to meet some reliable people, who know how to show their love and support in practice - and they do it spontaneously and selflessly, too!
I would also like to thank all the few ones who expressed their support to the project and offered to help – it wasn’t possible to use the resources they offered at this phase, but it was great to feel that they were there for us.
But then again, I would like to thank the ones who did not wish to support our work, just because they were there playing their own roles during our fruitful process of self-awareness.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Aleister Crowley himself, for this journey - if it wasn't for his success (or failure), we wouldn't be spending a good amount of our time studying and discussing about him and Thelema.
My best wishes to all the Thelemic community!
Anna
Thanks for trying. You seemed to have had enough support - IF the current landlord/owner would have set a "reasonable" price on the decaying Abbey.
Greetings to you, Anna. I remember when you first delved into the works of AC & shared your thoughts with us here, & have followed through Lashtal.com your subsequent adventures. I appreciate how you actively worked to bring attention to a neglected property with a special history. You have succeeded in some ways, & "failed" in others much like Edward Alexander Crowley did himself. Perhaps you are correct in thinking that the story of the Abbey is not over, but like Shiva has remarked the price for the property is much too high. Like Paul also commented above, the owners of Boleskine & the Cefalu Abbey have all tried to capitalize on the passion which AC's students share for his work. We could say that they have been unsuccessful, but then Jimmy Page did buy Boleskine. Of course, here again we see that Crowley himself paid twice the market value for the property to begin with. There is something Odd at work here. 😉
Of course, here again we see that Crowley himself paid twice the market value for the property to begin with.
And I did read that AC made a significant loss when he sold [Boleskine] too.
This thread is about the Abbey of Thelema and I logged in just in order to write this last update and let you know that Ι wrote to the Mayor of Cefalu in November, asking for information about the owners of the property. We have not received a reply yet.
I think determining ownership is by far the biggest barrier to moving any project forward.
However, I get the feeling that the Abbey is owned by people who care very little for it. Their only care is that if the Abbey is worth anything at all, they get the biggest cut possible.
Eventually, it will be worth nothing at all, because there won't be anything.
Is already worth nothing. It should be condemned, as the roof is falling in. You could not give it away on its current condition. Ridiculous situation.
Thanks so much Anna, for your devoted and hard work over the years. It will be a pile of rubble, that's maybe what everyone has to accept after all. Sad but true. 🙁
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
It will be a pile of rubble, that's maybe what everyone has to accept after all. Sad but true.
It certainly seems to be what the current owners want.
Perhaps it will start showing up on Ebay - or maybe pieces already have?
I agree, I think the virtual Abbey is the way forward for now. As for the original abbey… it just goes to show that in contract to Crowley, people can be so small, and by that gain nothing!
93
Hamal
Your efforts over the years are (were?) appreciated, Hecate/ Anna, and it seems (seemed?) a worthy cause while there was (is?) some realistic hope of there being much to save, at the least in the way of the murals themselves. (I don’t think there is much other virtue in the physical concrete and plaster of the ruins of the actual building itself?)
One thing which has not been discussed is the possibility of “an invisible house there standeth and shall stand” remaining, rather as there is meant to be at Boleskine should its physical malkuthian basis become “burnt down and shattered” - or even, in this case, extensively swamped by water damage - in other words, and within a “psychogeographical” context, there may be what Rupert Sheldrake describes as a morphic resonance within the immediate location itself (as I have apprehended personally there appears to be around the whole of the Foyers area down to the Falls. I haven’t yet been to Cefalu - better hurry up!) This concept will be up for ridicule by the anti-supernaturalists of course, as some sort of ookie-wookie hocus-pocus mumbo-jumbo itsy-fartsy crankiness. Nevertheless those who can also intuit it will know it to be “true”
According to Richard T Cole’s rather excellent catalogue of the existing sorry state of the murals in Thelema Revisted (Orange Box, 2007), pieces of the Abbey (i.e. pieces of masonry with bits of painting on them) have shown up in the past on the internet for sale. Fortunately nobody seems to have bidded (bad?) for them, thus hopefully discouraging the reprehensible activity – although whether this be either through metaphorical ‘thelemic frowns of disapproval’ or because the prices being asked were just too high, is not known.
Send in those clowns (bulldozers)?
N Joy
I hope the Abbey can be saved and restored to its former glory.
Interesting that there are houses "an hour's drive from Cefalu", which are currently for sale for 1 Euro (80p) each! They need renovating though and there are fees, which are returnable once you have renovated the properties. Pity there isn't a similar deal for the Abbey!
From the linked article: "The houses need new roofs and floors, you'd need to put in electricity, water and sewerage and re-plaster them at the end of it all. I reckon it would cost about €35,000 per property. The only downside I can think of is that the village is not near the coast, but it a lovely medieval town, it's very clean and well-kept and the people are friendly."
the towns up there in the mountains are quite beautiful and it would be a wonderful place to live - but, having visited both during and after tourist season with very different reactions, i do wonder how the local communities will accept the newcomers once the novelty of their arrival has passed.
"The houses need new roofs and floors, you'd need to put in electricity, water and sewerage and re-plaster them at the end of it all. I reckon it would cost about €35,000 per property."
Similar to the Abbey, although the folks involved - in the case of the Abbey - seems to think it's worth upwards of around EUR 1,000,000.
You can't make extraordinary profit unless you charge massively inflated prices.
The more we hear about the economy, the real estate market, and the infrastructure in Sicily, the more ridiculous the position of the Abbey's owner appears.
And I did read that AC made a significant loss when he sold [Boleskine] too.
He lost more than a significant amount of money when he sold Boleskine, he lost a potent Power-zone too! One which would have served him well not only magically, but also as a "homebase" for the headquarters of the Equinox, the Grand Lodge for the O.T.O., or the Abbey, etc. That's my opinion, anyway.
And I did read that AC made a significant loss when he sold [Boleskine] too.
He lost more than a significant amount of money when he sold Boleskine, he lost a potent Power-zone too! One which would have served him well not only magically, but also as a "homebase" for the headquarters of the Equinox, the Grand Lodge for the O.T.O., or the Abbey, etc. That's my opinion, anyway.
I agree. Crowley had a great spot with Boleskine.
Anyone want to go halves on one of these with me? I'm prepared to stump up the necessary 50 cents. 😉
Owner and Editor
LAShTAL
Hi everyone,
just to let you know that I was in Cefalu from October 8th till October 15th. Walked up to the abbey but didn't go down the slope, just stayed in the football stadium car park and took a few photos from there. The whole town is beautiful and welcoming and going there at last was a wonderful experience. I did see this link from a website promoting tourism in Sicily http://www.cefalu.it/blog/storia-cultura/aleister-crowley-thelema-cefalu
and it seems that someone is still trying to save the abbey, no idea if this is anything to do with Hecate. Just thought this might be of interest.
The link says, among other things:
"Historical, cultural and artistic heritage linked to Aleister Crowley in Cefalù, the Thelema abbey, is one of the most demolished places in Italy and perhaps in the world. Today it appears as an abandoned building and in disrepair, but has known days of lust and sin."
Great, just astoundingly great!