Rome. Domenico Mondo's altarpiece, stolen 30 years ago and recovered by the Carabinieri, returns to the Viminale.

The altarpiece by Domenico Mondo depicting “San Filippo Neri meets San Carlo Borromeo”, dating back to 1762, has finally been returned to the heritage of the Ministry of the Interior.

The priceless work of art was in fact stolen in 1993 from the church of Sant'Aspreno ai Crociferi in Naples and was found thanks to careful investigations conducted by the Carabinieri.

For the occasion, a meeting was held on 9 April at the Viminale ceremony, in the presence of the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, and of the General Commander of the Carabinieri, Teo Luzi, during which the precious canvas was exhibited for the first time after the theft.

«Today our gratitude goes to the Carabinieri, and in particular to the soldiers of the Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Thanks to their commitment we can once again admire the beauty of Domenico Mondo's altarpiece, a precious work of art owned by the Cult Buildings Fund, returned to the community after over 30 years" stated the Minister Piantedosi.

«The discovery of this important work, which represents a small piece of the immense heritage of our country, takes on a very high symbolic value because it testifies to the continuous activity conducted by the Carabinieri to protect the boundless Italian artistic and cultural capital» underlined the Commander General Luzi.

The painting, found at a commercial business in the Trionfale area of ​​Rome and seized, also thanks to the buyer's report and the complaint from one of the owners of the business, will be exhibited shortly, in agreement with the Special Superintendence of Rome, in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella – one of the approximately 840 that the Fund owns in Italy – too known as the New Church, in which the remains of San Filippo Neri are venerated, and in which - the Minister announced - the restoration work is nearing completion.

The altarpiece will be able, after careful cleaning of the canvas and therefore restoration of its original colours, to be admired by all again.

The ceremony was attended by, among others, the Undersecretary of the Interior Wanda Ferro, the Head of the Civil Liberties and Immigration Department, Laura Lega and the Special Superintendent of Rome - Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, Daniela Porro.