Prosecutors point finger at Paglia over sale of castle in Umbria

A senior Italian archbishop has denied accusations of fraud involving the purchase of an historic castle in Umbria, writes Hannah Roberts.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, is one of 10 people under investigation by Italian prosecutors for alleged fraud and embezzlement over the purchase of San Girolamo castle in 2011. Two people have been arrested.

Paglia is lead Vatican organiser of September’s World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, at which Pope Francis will speak, and postulator of the recently beatified Archbishop Oscar Romero.

Prosecutors say that the castle and convent in the diocese of Terni was sold to the diocese for €1.76m (£1.28m), barely a third of its real value, by a property company linked to the diocese. They say the diocese intended to sell it on at its real value, which they estimate at €5.5m (£3.98m).