Vittorio Sgarbi, credit: Niccolò Caranti via wikipedia
Italian culture minister Vittorio Sgarbi, also known as an art critic and politician, faces intense scrutiny over allegations of his involvement in an art theft scandal. He is accused of being part of a scheme involving a 17th-century painting by Rutilio Manetti, titled "La Cattura di San Pietro" (The Capture of St Peter), depicting soldiers escorting a bearded man to a judge. The painting, valued at up to €300,000, was reportedly stolen in 2013 from the Buriasco castle near Turin.
The 71-year-old minister's properties in Rome and near Macerata were searched by police, who discovered the painting at a family-owned property in Ro Ferrarese. This property, associated with the Cavallini-Sgarbi Foundation, contains many art pieces belonging to the Sgarbi family. Despite the allegations, Sgarbi strongly denies any wrongdoing and has expressed his determination to clear his name.
Sgarbi claims he has possessed the painting for over two decades, having discovered it in a villa in Viterbo, and asserts that it is the original work, dismissing the stolen one as a poor imitation. Meanwhile, authorities suspect that the painting was altered, with a small torch added to make it less recognizable.
This scandal has led to significant political pressure. The Democratic Party and The Five Star Movement have called for Sgarbi's dismissal, and opposition councillors in Ferrara demand his resignation as president of the Fondazione Ferrara Arte. Additionally, Sgarbi faces a separate investigation regarding the illicit export of a painting by Valentin de Boulogne, seized in Monte Carlo in 2021.
Jean Dubreil