Culture

Private house museum with stolen masterpieces discovered in Italy

Italian authorities discovered a villa turned into a private museum, which houses hundreds of artifacts stolen from the state.

Police found this house in Lanuvio, located south of Rome. Roman columns, statues, decorated fragments of marble, frescoes, vases - all this was found in an impromptu house-museum. In one of the halls was an office where ancient artifacts were stored, which include sketches and a whole collection of coins. To date, police have already detained four suspects who are allegedly the owners of the mansion with valuables.

Taking into account the fact that Italy, rich in talents, stores a huge number of historical artifacts and works of art, the country's police regularly encounter thefts of cultural property. So, last month, the unknown, bypassing the tight guard, entered the Pompeii complex, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and stole part of the fresco.

A few days ago, in the homeland of Michelangelo and Botticelli, they discovered other masterpieces of world art - two paintings by Paul Gauguin and Pierre Bonnard, stolen almost forty years ago. Missing art objects were found in the kitchen from an ordinary worker who admitted that he had acquired them for almost a penny and had no idea that they were stolen.

The man did not even suspect that the creations of great artists were hanging on his wall until his son accidentally stumbled upon another picture of Gauguin in a magazine and noticed an unusual similarity between the two canvases.

The Italian immediately turned to experts for help in assessing his property, and later a special bureau for investigating such cases contacted him. By the way, the total value of finds can reach at least 10.6 million euros.

Last month, 68 more were added to the list of cultural heritage of Italy. It is precisely the number of allegedly stolen artifacts that the Swiss authorities returned to the country of wine and sun, and the total number of art and history objects returned over the past 13 years to their homeland was 4,500. “The last 69 artifacts completed the process of mutual assistance between the two countries, which lasted for many years, and allowed the transfer of 4,536 historically important objects,” said the representative of the Ministry of Culture of Switzerland, noting that hundreds more items were seized from thieves in the country.

Italy turned to a neighboring country for help in 2001 after it became known that there was a whole network that included antique dealers, businessmen, bankers, and others involved in the illegal sale of art objects and their export abroad. Swiss investigators discovered about 5,800 artifacts smuggled into the country, many of which came directly from Italy. Five icons that once belonged to Greece were also returned to their historic homeland.

Watch the video: Italy: Stolen Van Gogh paintings found by anti-Mafia police (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Culture, Next Article

Kellerwald-Edersee National Park
Germany

Kellerwald-Edersee National Park

Kellerwald-Edersee National Park is located in North Hesse. The 5700-hectare park occupies part of the Kellerwald midlands. Its main attraction is the zone of historical deciduous forests. Since 1963, a reserve and a nature reserve have been created in this territory. Kellerwald-Edersee National Park (Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee) Kellerwald-Edersee National Park (Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee) is located in North Hesse - 40 kilometers from Kassel.
Read More
Museum Island
Germany

Museum Island

When walking around Berlin, be sure to check out Museum Island. The history of Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Gothic and romanticism - all this in its five museums. Conveniently, on a museum map in a couple of days you can get around them. The island also has a beautiful Cathedral. The Museum Island (Museumsinsel), photo by Vitalij Sosna The Museum Island, or as it is also called the Museum Island (Museumsinsel), is located on the north side of the Spreeinsel island on the Spree river in Berlin.
Read More
Cafes and Restaurants on the Outskirts of Cologne
Germany

Cafes and Restaurants on the Outskirts of Cologne

If you like outdoor picnics, the outskirts of Cologne are a great place to have something to drink or eat in the shade of trees. Take a look at the zoo or any of the bars and restaurants listed in the "When the Night Comes Down" section. Drinks and hot dishes are served throughout the day.
Read More
Koln
Germany

Koln

Developed metropolis, economic, cultural, media center of the country. The city is in 4th place in terms of population, and in 3rd place in Germany in terms of area. It stands on the coast of a cozy bay on the Rhine. On three sides, Cologne is surrounded by mountain ranges and elevations; Ville National Park is approaching the city from the west.
Read More