After 50 Years «La Madonna delle Grazie» A Priceless Botticelli Found in a House

Italian authorities have come across «La Madonna delle Grazie» a painting by one of the masters of the Italian Renaissance, Sandro Botticelli, as reported by The Guardian.

Known for his masterpieces "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera (Spring)," Botticelli created dozens of paintings. One of them had disappeared from the state's radar for reasons that remain unclear to this day. After fifty years of uncertainty, the painting was finally found within a family living near Naples.

Valued at 100 million euros, «La Madonna delle Grazie» was initially installed in a church in the city of Santa Maria la Carità. It was then entrusted to a local family that preserved it and passed it down from generation to generation. But everyone thought the painting was lost. The Carabinieri in charge of protecting the cultural heritage of the Neapolitan region explained that the last time authorities had heard about this painting was around fifty years ago. Then, "quite inexplicably," it was forgotten: "When we realized that a Botticelli painting had been in a private house for more than fifty years, we decided to inspect it," he added.

According to the site capital.fr, today, the painting is not in very good condition and shows many signs of abrasion and chromatic alterations caused by varnish oxidation. The canvas will be restored to try to return it to its original state and could then be shown to the public. In addition, authorities will also try to determine if the painting belongs to the family in question. If the family does not have the right to keep it, then it will pass into the hands of the state and could be exhibited in a museum."