Steve Bannon loses court battle to start political academy in Italian monastery

Steve Bannon's plans to open a Catholic political academy in an Italian abbey have been dashed after the former strategist lost a legal battle for access to the site.

The Dignitatis Humanae Institute, which Mr Bannon backs, lost its bid to operate out of an 800-year-old Italian monastery south of Rome.

The Council of State ruled against the organisation on Monday, according to Reuters.

The DHI has been attempting to access the site for years, but has been tied up in legal battles with the country's culture ministry, which owns the building. Civic and environmental organisations opposed to the DHI also joined in the fight to prevent the DHI from operating out of the religious structure.