Farewell, Caravaggio?
Former hit man working for the mafia, told the court that the painting by Caravaggio "Christmas with St.. And St. Francis. Lavrenty ", stolen in 1969, was destroyed back in 1980
One of the most wanted in the world of art - painting by Caravaggio (Michelangelo de Caravaggio) «Christmas with St. And St. Francis. Lavrenty "may never be able to please the audience. As the court admitted a former hitman, now a police informant Gaspare Spatutstso (Gaspare Spatuzzo), the picture fell into the hands of the mafia and was destroyed back in 1980.
 MICHELANGELO Caravaggio Christmas with St. And St. Francis. Lavrenty Source: |
«Christmas with St.'s and St. Francis. Lavrenty" was stolen from the chapel of San Lorenzo in Palermo in October 1969 and since then, his fate was unknown. of involvement in crime in 1996, confessed Francesco Marino manna (Francesco Marino Mannoia) - former mobsters, who later became an informant. However, the location of the work he did and did not inform the police. Therefore, for many years had presented many assumptions about what might happen to picture. According to one version, she was moved to Naples, where they died in the earthquake of 1980. And according to another version, she was from a certain Italian collector living in South Africa.
Now it turned out that was possible and the other scenario. Gaspare Spatutstso, went to prison in 1997 on numerous charges of murder, told the court that Graviano Filippo (Filippo Graviano) - leader of a mafia-like groups, for whom he worked - had told him in prison in 1999 that the painting was destroyed in 1980's. According to the Graviano, it was deposited with the family Pullara (Pullara), which is part of Sicilian clan of Santa Maria di Gesù (Santa Maria di Gesu). They put a sheet one of the business premises on a farm. "There he bite the rat and pig, after which it burned," - said Spatutstso.
motives of criminals who had stolen the creation of Caravaggio, who has not yet clear. The police suggested that since "Christmas with St.. and St. Francis. Lavrenty" it was impossible to sell on the open market, it has been stolen for sale to a certain private collector.
Sources: , artinvestment.ru
PS On the other missing or stolen works art can be read:
Ten most wanted works of art
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