Stolen works from Castelvecchio found: now more attention for our heritage

Now that the seventeen canvases stolen last November from the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona have been found, we would like to express a few brief impressions in the heat of the moment: after all, we were deeply affected by the affair, since we know the museum well, having visited it several times (and considering it one of our favorites) and given the extent of the damage that was caused. Let us not forget that for a good six months the museum was deprived of seventeen precious works, among which were some important cornerstones of the history of Italian art, and for all this time we lived in the anguish of not knowing what would happen to them and when we would be able to see them again: in fact, we had, unfortunately, to prepare even for the worst.

Fortunately, now the good news has arrived, confirmed by the authorities of Ukraine (the country where the paintings were recovered) and launched by all the news agencies: we therefore expect, shortly, the return of the works to Italy. The details of the operation are not yet known: we do know, however, that the paintings should be in good condition. This is crucial. And we know that the recovery was possible thanks to the joint work of the law enforcement agencies of all the countries involved (Italy, Moldova, Ukraine): therefore, we can only extend our heartfelt thanks to those who worked hard and dedicated themselves to discover where the seventeen works of art were hidden.

Some of the works stolen from the Castelvecchio Museum. Full list with pictures at this link

But we also have to thank all those who have always kept the attention high: think of all the citizens and art lovers who have never stopped talking about the affair, and who have never stopped believing that the works could be found and return to the Castelvecchio Museum. Too bad that the same cannot be said of many media and many politicians who, especially at the beginning of the affair, pushed this very ugly story (fortunately concluded with a happy ending) into the background. Here: we want to hope that this will serve to change attitudes toward art history. Events like these show how fragile our heritage is and how precarious are the balances on which the system of protection rests. And we want to hope that the story of the Castelvecchio theft will serve as a warning and convince politicians that it makes much more sense to invest in the routine maintenance of heritage, to ensure full usability, efficient protection, security and serene management, rather than in extraordinary interventions once in a while.

The discovery of the Castelvecchio paintings must be yes (and it already is) a moment of great happiness, but it must also be a moment of reflection. We must always keep the threshold of attention high, we must insist that our heritage is always managed with due care, we must (and we repeat this at the risk of being boring) work to ensure that culture once again occupies a leading role in the country’s logics. Because the only way to prevent similar episodes from happening again in the future is to attach greater importance to our heritage-there are no other options. Let us remember this as we celebrate!

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