The artwork was discovered in a family home near Naples (Picture: Soprintendenza ABAP)
A painting by 15th-century master, Sandro Botticelli, has been recovered at a home in southern Italy.
Italian authorities lost track of the Renaissance masterpiece – believed to be worth £85 million – more than 50 years ago, and since then it has been long forgotten.
Originally donated by the artist to Pope Sixtus IV, it was later housed in a church in the town of Santa Maria la Carità.
Then, a local family was entrusted to keep it at their private residence for generations.
The painting depicts Madonna and a child
After many thought it had been lost altogether, the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage traced it to a property in Gragnano, near Naples.
A depiction of Madonna and a child, the painting has deteriorated, with abrasions and chromatic alterations seen all over, and will now require major restoration.
Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo of the Carabinieri said after receiving the work: ‘It will be entrusted to the care of an Institute of the Ministry of Culture specialised in the sector of restoration of works of art in order to start a study process and valorisation of the painting.’
Botticelli’s most famous works include ‘The Birth of Venus’ and ‘Primavera’, which are displayed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Authorities estimate the lesser-known painting to be one of the Italian master’s last.
Police are now probing the rightful ownership of the painting, which has been passed down through generations in the family.
If the family’s ownership is deemed legitimate, the masterpiece may remain with them but could be displayed in a museum for enhanced security.
If not, it will be transferred to the state. Despite being listed in the Italian state’s works of public interest, private ownership is permissible, provided the owner ensures the painting’s security, preservation, and care.
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