Italian Culture Minister Vittorio Sgarbi resigns over painting plagiarism allegations

Italy’s young culture minister has resigned after being accused of laundering stolen goods, which he denies.

Vittorio Sgarbi made the announcement before starting his speech in Milan, saying he was resigning “to avoid conflicts of interest.”

Prosecutors are investigating suspicions that Sugarbi, a prominent art critic, stole and altered 17th-century paintings.

“The Capture of St. Peter” was reported stolen in 2013.

Paintings by Rutilio Manetti, a follower of Baroque master Caravaggio, were once displayed in a castle in Piedmont, northern Italy.

Sgarbi is accused of altering the painting, including adding a candle in the top corner, to conceal its origin.

The politician said his mother discovered the piece while restoring the villa she bought more than 20 years ago. He said the painting was an original, but the one stolen in 2013 was a copy.

The allegations were revealed in an investigation by the Italian TV station “Report” on Rai.

The castle owner who reported the painting’s theft told journalists that the canvas was cut from its frame in 2013.

She also said a friend of Mr. Sgarbi had previously visited the property and expressed interest in purchasing the works.

The program also said it was discovered that another friend of the politician had later given the damaged “Capture of St. Peter” painting to a restorer.

The hole is said to be the same size as a piece of canvas that was cut from the frame of a castle in Piedmont in 2013.

By the time Sgarbi exhibited the restored work in 2021, a candle had been added to the top corner of the painting.

The deputy minister is also facing charges related to another work, a painting worth 5 million euros (approximately 430 million yen), said to be by French painter Valentin de Boulogne and seized by police in Monte Carlo.

Mr. Sgarbi is under investigation by prosecutors on suspicion of illegally exporting paintings.

He said it was a copy and not his.