By delegation of the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Naples, it is hereby communicated that on 9 October 2025, at 5.30 pm, at Rende (CS), the The Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Naples has returned an 18th-century oil on canvas painting to the Archbishop of Cosenza-Bisignano., measuring approximately 115 x 150 cm, attributed to the master Francesco DeMura (Naples, 1696 – 1782), depicting “Our Lady of the Rosary with Baby Jesus and Saints”, stolen by unknown persons inside the Church of Maria SS del Rosario in Rende (CS) on 4 January 1978.

The investigations that allowed the military of the TPC Nucleus of Naples to recover the very important painting were started following investigations into the provenance of certain art assets, held by private individuals in the city of Naples, subject to seizure by the judiciary following civil proceedings.

The subsequent investigative activities, carried out by the Carabinieri of the Special Branch of the Force also through the consultation of the sector databases, have allowed to ascertain the illicit origin of the seized painting, which turned out to be the same one stolen in Rende (CS) in 1978.

The consultation of the “Database of Illegally Stolen Cultural Heritage”, a unique digital archive in the world managed by the Carabinieri TPC Command with over 1.3 million files related to cultural heritage to be searched for.

The return of the work, ordered by the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Naples which coordinated the investigation activities, will allow to relocate the precious painting, after decades, to its original location, returning it to the devotion of those faithful and reinserting it into the territorial context to which it belongs for public enjoyment.