Acourt in L'Aquila on Friday rejected an appeal by an British-Australian couple living off-the-grid in Abruzzo against the decision to put their three children into care.
Australian Catherine Birmingham and her British husband Nathan Trevallion had been rasing the kids in a house without electricity or running water in woods near the town of Palmoli.
In October a court for minors ruled that the couple's children should go to a home and they are currently staying at one in Vasto, where Birmingham can be with them for periods during the day.
Last month the couple agreed to temporarily move into a farmhouse laid on by a local restaurateur, Armando Carusi, while their own home is renovated in order to strengthen their bid to get their kids back.
The decision to put the children into care has sparked criticism from the government, with Justice Minister Carlo Nordio calling it serious and ordering an inspection and Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini comparing it to a kidnapping.
