A privately owned property listed as cultural heritage can be sold, but the State may buy it in place of the buyer. The seller must report the transfer to the Soprintendenza, the heritage authority, within 30 days of the deed. From receipt, the State, directly or through the Region or another territorial public body, has 60 days to exercise pre-emption at the same price stated in the deed. If the report is missing, late or incomplete, the period becomes 180 days. Until it expires the deed is conditional on pre-emption not being exercised, and the property cannot be delivered, so completion and handover must be planned accordingly. Our guide to selling property in Italy covers the wider process.
