Agape Centro Ecumenico, building in Prali, Italy
Agape Centro Ecumenico is a religious community center in the small mountain village of Prali, located at about 1,600 meters (5,200 feet) elevation in the Alps. The complex includes guest accommodations, meeting halls, an outdoor chapel, and residential spaces, with a large cross-shaped hall serving as the central gathering area.
The center was constructed between 1947 and 1951 and inaugurated in 1951, designed by architect Leonardo Ricci using organic architecture meant to blend with the surroundings. Since the 1950s it has hosted youth gatherings from different continents, and since 1976 it has also offered volunteer service programs.
The name Agape comes from the Bible and refers to divine love, a concept visually reinforced by biblical text inscribed on the chapel exterior. This reference shapes how visitors understand the place as a space dedicated to interfaith dialogue and community connection.
Guest rooms are accessed via long, steep staircases designed to encourage visitors to gather and socialize in shared spaces. The grounds are hilly and require reasonable physical mobility to explore all areas of the site.
The chapel stands in the open air surrounded by unbuilt space, with no clear boundary between sacred and everyday space. This unusual design reflects the philosophy that the spiritual should not be separated from the human world.
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