Italian police have confiscated an allegedly stolen Seventeenth-century portray that’s the middle of an investigation specializing in Italy’s junior tradition minister Vittorio Sgarbi, deepening the newest scandal for the far-right authorities of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The portray — “The Seize of Saint Peter” by Rutilio di Lorenzo Manetti — disappeared in 2013, sparking a decade-long hunt for the Caravaggio-style art work, which is value round €200,000. In 2021, Sgarbi, a widely known artwork critic, submitted a almost similar portray with a distinct title to an artwork exhibition, catching the attention of Italian journalists who revealed an exposé in December.
Prosecutors on Friday confiscated the portray for evaluation and are investigating Sgarbi over the alleged laundering of stolen items, in line with the artwork heritage squad of the Carabinieri police.
The middle-right politician denies all accusations and claims he discovered the art work in a home his mom purchased north of Rome.
“I’ve nothing to worry. I’ll defend myself by all means towards those that speculate on the matter and those that turn into complicit in it,” Sgarbi proclaimed on Saturday. The politician can also be being investigated by Italy’s antitrust authority for allegedly accepting giant sums of cash to seem at cultural occasions.
Opposition politicians have referred to as for Sgarbi’s sacking, gleefully mocking the Meloni authorities’s newest gaffe. The prime minister earlier this month was pressured to droop a politician from her far-right Brothers of Italy celebration after a gun he owned was unintentionally fired at a New Yr’s Eve celebration. The politician denied having fired it, however refused to undergo gunpowder residue check.
