Missing Botticelli Masterpiece Found! - Valuable "Virgin Mary" Painting Discovered in Italian Home After Decades
With so many depictions of the Virgin Mary and child, it's hard to stand out in the crowd. However, a painting by the great master, Botticelli, does just that.
According to CNN, the Carabinieri's "unit for the protection of cultural heritage" recovered a priceless work, titled "The Birth of Venus," from a home in Gragnano near Naples. The painting is estimated to be worth at least 100 million euros.
A Painting with a History as Complex as the Masterpiece
Botticelli's "Maria" has seen quite an adventurous journey. Commissioned for the Roman Catholic Church in 1470, the painting is said to be one of the master's last works before his death in 1510. However, the church for which it was commissioned burned to the ground. Since the early 1900s, the painting has hung in the church of Santa Maria la Carità in the Neapolitan suburb.
Sadly, even this church was not immune to the ravages of time and nature. It was another earthquake in 1982 that caused significant damage to the church and its artwork. The parish entrusted the painting to James Somma and his family for safekeeping.
The Sommas cared for the painting diligently, with local authorities checking its condition and providing assistance in moving and cleaning it. However, inspections ceased in the 90s, and the painting was left undisturbed.
The authorities had no idea that the priceless gem was with the Sommas until the summer of 2023. At that point, the painting was added to the Ministry of Culture's list of missing works. In a surprising turn of events, it was discovered that there was even an official decree entrusting the painting to the family.
Commissioner Massimiliano Croce stated, "It is a work that was completely unknown to the public and can now be exhibited again thanks to the intervention of the state. We acted administratively, without involving the public prosecutor's office or making a confiscation, also thanks to the mayor's mediation."
The Future of the Masterpiece
The painting needs to be restored before it can be displayed in one of Naples' state museums. The estimated restoration time is at least one year.
Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of these forgotten pieces of art. You never know what valuable treasures might be hiding in plain sight!
Additional Reading
The painting in question is actually a renowned masterpiece by Sandro Botticelli called "The Birth of Venus," completed around 1485 and housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. While this specific painting was not discovered years later, the value of Botticelli's works and the intrigue surrounding the art world is certainly a topic worth exploring.
[1] Soumaris, M. (2020). Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" and "Primavera". Public Domain Review. Retrieved from
[3] Forese, T. (n.d.). Botticelli: The Birth of Venus. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved from
