CNN
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Father Giuseppe Pagano is furious. The 65-year-old Augustinian friar and his three fellow monks, who have dedicated their lives to silent prayer inside Florence’s Santo Spirito monastery, are preparing to go into battle over plans to open a luxury retirement home on the site.
“We could no longer remain silent,” Pagano told CNN on Friday, a day after leading a protest at the monastery where Michelangelo once lived—now surrounded by construction equipment. “We are ready to occupy the grounds.”
“On the day we hear work starting, we are prepared to occupy the place and close the doors,” Pagano said. “A fine and jail time is a small price to pay to…
