[CPProt.net] A Sicilian Mystery

[Charles V. Sabba]

A Sicilian Mystery
Where in the World is Caravaggio's stolen "Nativity"?
by Charles Vincent Sabba Jr.
US Italia, New York
December 25, 2005

    An Italian tough guy was sitting at a table in Rome when he was insulted by a waiter. In defense of his honor he impulsively threw a plate of artichokes in the waiters face. Later, this street guy, who had a long police rap sheet, gets into an argument over a game in Naples. He kills his opponent, flees south to Malta and is inducted into the Military Order of St. John. He gets into trouble with this group of very dangerous men and flees to Sicily in fear for his life. This is the volatile, violent nature of the Lombardy artist named Michelangelo Merisi di Caravaggio. The artist's violent life no doubt has parallels to the lives of the men who stole the Nativity 360 years later from the Oratorio di San Lorenzo in Palermo, Sicily.

    Oct. 19, 1969 was a stormy evening in Palermo. Thieves prefer to commit burglaries during storms because they are less likely to be seen or heard by people walking outside. According to a criminal pentito named Francesco Marino Mannoia, he and some accomplices entered the Oratorio and stole the painting. In sworn testimony at the trial of Giulio Andreotti, Mannoia claims that they irreparably damaged the 8ft by 6 ft canvas while cutting it from its frame and then folding it up. Mannoia stated that the painting was being stolen for Andreotti, a claim the former premier denied. Many art lovers still believe (or want to believe) that the painting still exists and can be recovered one day. 

   Senior Special Agent Robert Wittman of the FBI stated:"We put the stolen Caravaggio on our top ten most wanted stolen art list. We want that painting back. We want to work closely in international cooperation with the Italian Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale. We have the utmost respect for the talents and dedication of the TPC."
Agent Wittman heads the F.B.I.'s newly established Art Crime Team. This team is made up of ten agents and supported by two special trial attorneys for prosecutions. With the creation of this specialized unit, the FBI has declared to the world that the USA is dedicated to protecting the world's cultural property. They have recently released a list of their top ten art crimes which, besides the Caravaggio, includes Cellini's Saliera, DaVinci's Madonna of the Yarnwinder, Munch's The Scream, and looted and stolen artifacts from Iraq (for more info on this unit refer to: www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/arttheft/arttheft.htm . 

    Art theft is a huge international problem. While in the U.S. most thefts of art are from private residences, in Europe churches are the most vulnerable targets. The churches there are old and rich in cultural treasures. Unlike the churches in the U.S. that only unlock their doors when mass is being celebrated, the church doors in Italy stay open to allow the public free access. The Oratorio di San Lorenzo was repeatedly plundered after the 1969 theft of the Nativity. It has lost a 16th century painting of a crucifixion, a 17th century wooden Madonna, and its carved and guilded wooden choir stalls, to name just a few.  The Oratorio was built in 1569 near the church of San Francesco d'Assisi. The inside was richly decorated by Giacomo Serpotto. This Extraordinarily beautiful stucco work, which comprises statues, reliefs, and putti, is considered his masterwork. 

    Recovering art work years after it has been stolen is not uncommon (most stolen works do not resurface before 15 years or more), especially in a culture of the "old tradition" where keeping silent is itself fine tuned to an art. Where a man's ability to maintain silence defines his manhood.

    The 'old school' mafiosi would rather die in prison then break omerta', the code of silence they lived by. Men like them were raised in Omerta', which is more than a code of silence, it is a mental state of mind and a philosophy of life that gives meaning to their existence. They adhere to the belief that real men keep silent, from the minute details of home and family life, to the intricate workings of their cosche. The secret, mysterious nature of the players on this particular game board makes the next move all the more intriguing.

    One of the biggest problems (unique to Sicily) the Italian authorities face in recovering this painting is not the value of the piece, it is the unwillingness of any one involved in talking with authorities. It would be impossible to get those old timers, who are probably few in number today and, who have any knowledge of the paintings fate, to utter one word about the paintings whereabouts. The old timers strictly adhere to their beliefs. For these guys discussing secrets is comparable to committing mortal sin. After the mafia wars of the 1980's, it is very likely that the people who had knowledge of the paintings hiding place are either dead or in prison. It may be stashed in an obscure corner of an old house or wine cellar waiting to be discovered, possibly by someone who wouldn't have the foggiest idea what they were holding.

     Sicilians are proud of the rich artistic and cultural heritage that belongs to them, their children, and their grand-children. The children who pray in san Lorenzo deserve to gaze at the Nativity's beauty. The statutes of limitations in this crime have all expired; no one can be prosecuted or held accountable. We hope for our Christmas miracle.
   
www.usitalia.info

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://duvel.te.verweg.com/pipermail/cpprot/attachments/20051225/6895999c/attachment.htm