Sabbioneta, Gonzaga Foundation assets end up at auction to pay severance pay of former employee

A small but significant part of the Gonzaga treasure in Sabbioneta will end up at auction: five works of art and a manuscript by Isabella Gonzaga will be put up for sale on Thursday, Feb. 14, because the owner, the Gonzaga Foundation, has been unable to pay severance pay to a former employee who, having not received her due, has taken legal action to have her rights recognized. The works that will end up at auction are an oil on canvas depicting a Sabbioneta character from 1638, base 1,500 euros; an oil on canvas depicting a crucifixion, from the 18th century, base 2,000 euros; an oil on canvas depicting a Madonna and Child, from the 17th century, base 2,500 euros; an oil on canvas depicting a prelate in meditation, from the 18th century, base 1.000 euros; a pastille bas-relief depicting a Madonna and Child, base 4,000 euros; and finally the most valuable piece in the lot, a manuscript of Isabella Gonzaga (Sabbioneta, 1565 - Naples, 1637), duchess of Sabbioneta from 1591 to 1637, dating from 1592, on parchment, base 30,000 euros. The whole amounts to a total of 41,000 euros.

However, the foundation’s assets represent a bequest to the City of Sabbioneta and are therefore bound to their territory. Therefore, the objects will not be able to be dispersed, and in addition, public administrations (municipality, province, region or state) enjoy the right of first refusal: it therefore seems difficult for buyers to come forward under these conditions. More likely, on the contrary, is that they will wait for the rebates (the three provided for by law, one of which has already been triggered at the end of January) and that in the end the municipality will decide to buy them: the minority group leader Pierpaolo Tognini, in this regard, has submitted a question to the city council asking whether it is not the case that the mayor Aldo Vincenzi should immediately take action to find the necessary financing so that the municipality can acquire the assets for sale. Otherwise, Tognini pointed out, the risk is that a private party will buy them and then appeal against the Superintendency for being unable to dispose of their assets.

In any case, in the past few hours Vincenzi partly froze the hopes of the people of Sabbioneto: in fact, the first citizen told local newspapers that the municipality cannot bear the entire cost of the operation for now. More likely instead is the consideration of possible rebates or concurrent purchases with third parties. The mayor also provided reassurances, since the territoriality constraint requires that the assets do not leave Sabbioneta: for Vincenzi, this is a strong protective measure that should ensure the objects’ connection with their territory.

In the photo: Sabbioneta, Piazza Ducale. Ph. Credit Davide Papalini

Sabbioneta, Gonzaga Foundation assets end up at auction to pay severance pay of former employee

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