St. Peter's....

In Victorian times many people migrated from Italy to live in Manchester. I don't think they came for the weather. It must have been quite a shock for them moving from the Bay of Naples to face a Manchester winter. But there were opportunities here to do well. They settled in Ancoats just north of the city centre where they could rent cheap property. Quite a large community grew up in the area. They wanted somewhere to worship and built a church. Not just any church but an Italian styled church just like they would have back home. It looks like one of those little churches that you would see in a quiet part of Venice or Florence. The Italian community prospered and gradually moved out of Ancoats to leafier parts of the city. The church fell on hard times and eventually closed. It's future looked bleak. But Ancoats is on the up. The church has been restored and is now the dedicated rehearsal space for the Halle Orchestra.