Biccherna by Sano di Pietro returned to the City of Siena: it had been exported to Germany to go to auction

This morning it was was handed back to the Municipality of Siena, in a ceremony at the “La Marmora” barracks in Rome, headquarters of the Carabinieri Operational Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, which was attended by the Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini, the mayor of Siena Luigi De Mossi, the TPC Commander, Brigadier General Roberto Riccardi, Coordinator of the Committee for the Recovery and Restitution of Cultural Heritage and MiC Chief of Cabinet Annalisa Cipollone, Director General Archives Anna Maria Buzzi, Director General Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape Federica Galloni and Director of the State Archives of Siena Cinzia Cardinali, the Biccherna made by Sienese painter Sano di Pietro in 1441, exported to Germany to be sold at auction. “This operation is part of the strategy implemented for some time now to return works of art, stolen, recovered by various routes and reasons, to their places of origin. When a work returns to the places where it was created for communities, it is still a day of celebration,” the minister stressed.

The Biccherna, a gold ground panel depicting the Flagellation of Christ made in 1441 had been reported in Sotheby ’s auction in London on Dec. 7 and 8, 2016, lot No. 22, by the Archives Directorate General. After a long dispute with the holders, thanks to the guidelines formulated by the Committee for the Recovery and Restitution of Cultural Property and the collaboration of the Attorney General’s Office, the General Directorate of Archives and the General Directorate of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape were able to complete a complex administrative process to acquire the work to the Italian state. Its transfer was possible thanks to the personnel of the Antiques Section of the TPC Operational Department.

Image: Attributed to Sano di Pietro, Biccherna with Flagellation of Christ (42 x 30.5 x 2 cm)

Biccherna by Sano di Pietro returned to the City of Siena: it had been exported to Germany to go to auction

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