Botticelli Painting Valued At $109 Million Found in Italian Family's Home After Having Been Assumed Missing For Decades

Italian art and cultural authorities got the surprise of a lifetime when they discovered a painting by 15th-century master Sandro Botticelli that had been officially listed as missing for decades but was hanging in a family home.

The painting, which features an image of the Virgin Mary holding a baby Jesus, was originally commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church in 1470. Its estimated value is $109 million. The story of how the painting went missing for decades before being rediscovered sounds more like a Hollywood movie plot than fact.

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A Fire, Then An Earthquake 

The journey of the missing Botticelli painting from lost to found begins in the early 1900s when it was hanging in a church in a Naples suburb known as Santa Maria la Carita. By all accounts, the painting made its way to Santa Maria la Carita after a fire burned down the church where it originally hung. After the fire, the priests of the burned church gave the painting to its second home in Santa Maria la Carita.

The painting remained at this second location until an earthquake in 1982 did heavy damage to the church. At that point, the local parish gave the masterwork to a family by the name of Somma and trusted them to keep it safe. The Italian Ministry of Culture has a record of the transfer, and local government representatives took an active role in helping the Sommas maintain the painting.

They periodically visited the family to check on the painting's condition and gave the Sommas advice on practical matters such as where to hang it and how to clean it. Then, for reasons that are still unclear, the visits stopped in the 1990s. The Italian Culture Ministry had added it to a list of works designated as missing.

Lost and Found

Italy's long heritage of great artists and great artwork is part of why the country has a Ministry of Culture. Its job is to maintain and protect as many masterpieces by Italy's great artists as possible, which is why it registers the country's greatest works. It's also why a list of missing works exists. The art world is full of counterfeiters and thieves, and having official registries makes it harder for them to circulate.

The Ministry of Culture updates and audits these lists periodically. It was during one of these updates or audits that the ministry discovered this Botticelli painting may not be missing after all. It turns out the painting was still in the Somma family, albeit a different branch of the family than the one who originally received it.

The family was still in Naples and had been displaying the painting in their home for decades when Italian authorities tracked it down. As you might expect, the painting was in relatively poor condition after so many years and it will require a thorough restoration before it can be displayed again.

New Home, Same Owners

In the case of stolen art, or works that were not properly acquired, Italian authorities can initiate an administrative seizure process. Because there is a record of this Botticelli painting being given to the Somma family, it means they will not be subject to that process. They acquired the painting legitimately and did their best to maintain it.

The title to the painting will remain in their name, but they have agreed to allow it to be displayed in a museum. This is a win-win scenario for all parties. The Sommas will retain the title to a work of art worth upwards of $100 million, and art lovers will be able to appreciate a masterpiece that hasn't been seen by the public for over a century.

The only question now is how many other unseen masterpieces are hanging on the walls of homes all over Europe.  

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