The Italian Culture Secretary resigns for his alleged involvement in the theft of a Renaissance painting

The story of Vittorio Sgarbi could be used to write a novel. Or at least a TV movie. The art critic, debater and until now Secretary of Culture of the Italian Government has resigned this Friday from his position after weeks involved in a strange controversy that places him at the center of a plot to steal a Renaissance painting from a castle in Piedmont. Sgarbi was charged by the prosecutor's office two weeks ago for the theft of said canvas, by the painter Rutilio Manetti, a sought-after 17th century artist. But after denying his involvement, also to this newspaper, he appeared on a television program insulting the journalists who had carried out the investigation and wishing them “death in a traffic accident.” Giorgia Meloni's Executive has run out of patience and this Friday Sgarbi has resigned.

The decision was communicated by him himself. In his way. “I withdraw my wishes that they die, I apologize for having thought about it and I am no longer Secretary of Culture. From now on I will wish for someone's death without being politically responsible. I also apologize to the journalists who consider that they are in danger of death just because I told them that I wanted them to die in a traffic accident. It was an unauthorized interview. “I no longer want to be Secretary of State for Culture.” In addition, Sgarbi has accused the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, of sending him anonymous letters.

The capture of San Pedro, the painting in question, A wonderful Renaissance work with some influence from Caravaggio, it was stolen from a castle in Buriasco (Piedmont) in 2013 and its track was lost. The Renaissance fabric, however, reappeared in 2021 in an exhibition, already owned by Sgarbi himself. Anyone who knew him could see a small but substantial difference. Sgarbi's painting was identical, but a candle hanging on one of the walls representing the canvas illuminated the scene from the background. A small and luminous pictorial detail fundamental to the issue. The prosecution, according to the Italian media, is now investigating whether it is a modification introduced by Sgarbi himself to hide the possible theft.

The case broke out a few weeks ago, when the aforementioned media published that Sgarbi inaugurated the exhibition in Lucca (Tuscany). The painters of light —which is still ironic in the case of a case that revolves around a candle—, in which the aforementioned painting by Manetti was shown, valued at hundreds of thousands of euros and which was recorded as stolen in the Interpol database. Before 2013, the canvas was in the castle owned by Margherita Buzio, a place Sgarbi had visited several times. According to local media, one of his collaborators had offered to buy it, but he had always had the offer rejected.

The owner reported that thieves had entered the castle, cut out and removed Manetti's canvas, leaving a photograph of the work in its place. The carabinieri have already been sent by Macerata prosecutors to interrogate a restorer and the owners of the company in Correggio (Reggio Emilia) that supposedly made a copy of the work, as Sgarbi maintains in his defense. His, he claims, was in a mansion that his mother bought a long time ago.

Judges and experts must now decide who is lying. Sgarbi has announced that he will return to his work as a critic and as a lecturer and reiterates that he is sure that no evidence will be found against him.

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