Art critic and junior culture minister Vittorio Sgarbi has resigned. He was being investigated on suspicion of laundering stolen goods.
advertisementVittorio Sgarbi, a prominent art critic and one of Italy’s junior culture ministers, has resigned.
Mr. Sugarbi, 71 years old, Under investigation on suspicion of laundering stolen goods – after a 17th century painting that had been reported stolen was discovered in his possession.
The painting, a Renaissance painting by Rutilio Manetti influenced by Caravaggio, “The Capture of Saint Peter,” was reported stolen in 2013 by the owner of the castle in northern Italy’s Piedmont region where it was displayed. It resurfaced in the 2021 exhibition organized by Sugarbi. The painting was identical to the one reported stolen, except for the addition of a candle in the upper left corner of the canvas.
In response to the criminal investigation into the alleged laundering of cultural property, the deputy minister of Georgia Meloni’s Forza Italia party issued the following statement at a conference in Milan: ) Meloni will be here in a few hours. ”
The former undersecretary has maintained his innocence and said his motivation for resigning was to avoid a conflict of interest.
“I spent two hours thinking about whether I should do it or not,” he added.
“I have been having meetings like this from time to time, even daily.According to what the antitrust authorities have sent me, this meeting is inconsistent, illegal, and illegitimate.Therefore, all of you “On crime, I will speak freely from this moment in my role as Permanent Secretary. “From now on, I will be able to appear on TV and give press conferences,” Sugarbi continued.
Filippo Menci, editor-in-chief of Euronews Italia, said: “He seems to have been under a lot of pressure to resign, which is why the vote was postponed twice. The government openly held a vote to remove him. They didn’t want to, but at the same time they weren’t ready to protect him because his actions were condemned by public opinion.”
A provocative TV host, Sugarbi is no stranger to controversy. He made headlines last year when he got into a fistfight with author Giampiero Mughini on live television. The previous year, he was dragged from parliament after he verbally abused other members and refused to leave his seat voluntarily.
In addition to Manetti’s painting, Sgarbi is also accused of illegally exporting another work by French artist Valentin de Boulogne worth 5 million euros. Police in Monaco confiscated the painting, but Sgarbi insists it is a copy and not his own. He is also under investigation by Italy’s competition authority for allegedly charging fees for consulting services while holding public office, a charge stemming from a report in the Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano.