Italian Deputy Minister of Culture resigns after scandal over stolen painting

Vittorio Sgarbi, Italy’s deputy culture minister, has resigned after weeks of coming under fire over a scandal over a stolen art painting. The Italian opposition put pressure on him to resign. He did that on Friday Italian media report.

The 71-year-old Sgarbi announced his departure during an art event in Milan. He did not mention the painting. He said he was resigning because he would not be able to do his job. He said he had received a letter from the Italian Competition Authority stating that he was not allowed to give a lecture at the event. Sgarbi told the audience that he then chose his freedom. “I’m not allowed to talk about art, I’m not allowed to collect art. “I should be a deputy minister who can only deal with administrative tasks,” he said.

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Is the Italian Secretary of State for Culture an art thief?

<strong>Vittorio Sgarbi</strong>, the Italian Secretary of State for Culture, at an exhibition in Milan. Photo Pier Marco Tacca/ Getty Images ” class=”dmt-article-suggestion__image” src=”https://images.nrc.nl/eha-Tgk2gW57MuwbNtdpJtPC24I=/160×96/smart/filters:no_upscale()/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/stripped/data110646477-ffa7b6.jpg”/></p><p>Italian justice is investigating whether Sgarbi, an art historian and collector in addition to being a politician, was in possession of a stolen painting by the Italian Rutilio Manetti from the seventeenth century.  That case came to light through an investigative program.  According to the journalists, he not only had the stolen painting in his possession, but he also had it restored.  It later turned out that there is also an extra candle in the painting.  It is being investigated whether that element was deliberately added, for example so that the art theft would go unnoticed.</p><p>Sgarbi is a politician with a questionable reputation in Italy.  He is respected for his knowledge of art.  But the general public also knows him as someone who regularly explodes with anger on TV and swears at TV guests.  At the beginning of this week, Sgarbi said on television during an interview that he hoped the two journalists would die.  He also threatened to show his genitals on TV.  His outbursts on television have already earned him a conviction for slander and defamation.</p><p><dmt-util-bar article=


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