Abandoned Churches

These outstanding photographic reports aim to draw attention to the unclaimed places of worship and their frequently forgotten beauty. The locations featured all have their own stories to tell, in a variety of voices, but with one shared theme: the fall from grace

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Beautiful, haunting photographs of abandoned religious buildings.


Between 2012 and 2019 Francis Meslet photographed several hundred places of worship across Europe. Over time, these places have became enveloped in silence, the only thing heard there now an occasional gust of wind whistling though broken stained glass, or the rhythmic drip of water leaking through the dilapidated roof above a nave. Nevertheless, these muted places still draw an occasional visitor.


Once upon a time, prayers could be heard recited in Latin in a German church; and in a French Catholic college, the voices of children once resounded to the sound of the bells. But who can imagine what sounds might be concealed behind the walls of a crypt in the heart of the Italian mountains, or within a tomb in a former convent in Portugal? In his spare time Francis travels the world in search of places that have fallen into disuse -- religious buildings where time has stood still since their doors were closed for the last time. He returns with incredible photographs, each a time capsule, a record of a parallel universe. They prompt us to let our imaginations wander and ask ourselves questions. With the greatest respect for the faithful who regularly visited them long ago, he offers us an opportunity to immerse ourselves in places that have been abandoned by faith, to seek a divine light.


Award winning title:






Gold medal in the 'Fine Art Book' category, Prix de la Photographie de Paris
1st place in the 'Book' category, Prix de la Photographie de Paris
1st prize in the curatorial selection for the Paris Photo Prize exhibition “State of the World” from October 25 to 31 2021 in Paris, Espace Beaurepaire
Honourable Mention at the International Photography Awards
Silver medal at the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) in the Photo Book category