The experts from the Italian Ministry of Culture made a mistake this year. (symbol image)Image: Imago
June 9, 2026, 2:06 p.mJune 9, 2026, 2:06 p.m
The Italian Ministry of Culture seriously misjudged the age of a Madonna picture and released it for sale in Switzerland. The “Madonna and Child” does not come from 1850, but from 1350. The picture is suddenly worth a lot more – and actually shouldn’t have been executed at all.
In Italy, a painting was dated 500 years too young by experts from the Ministry of Culture due to a numerical error. This means that the work of an anonymous master from the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna is worth significantly more than the originally estimated 38,000 euros. International experts estimate it to be worth more than half a million euros.
According to a report in the daily newspaper “Corriere della Sera”, the error occurred a few years ago: in 2020, the ministry in Rome gave permission to export the painting “Madonna and Child” to Switzerland. The experts judged that it was a work of art of “minor importance” and approved it. The basis for this was also an inscription on the back: “Painted by Alfonso Martorelli Fiori, Bologna in 1850.”
When an eight is a three
Only: The eight is actually a three. This emerged during the restoration abroad. Accordingly, the painting comes from an unknown painter who worked in Parma in the 14th century. The “Master of 1302”, as he is called, is credited with another “Madonna and Child”, which can now be seen in the Baptistery of Parma. The auction house Christie’s estimated its true value at 400,000 to 500,000 pounds (up to 533,000 francs).
The other “Madonna and Child” by the “Master of 1302” in the Baptistery of Parma.Image: Screenshot X
The Italian Ministry of Culture then tried to reverse the release, but failed in court. The painting can now be auctioned.
There are now demands from the opposition in the Rome parliament to better protect their own cultural assets. MP Vincenza Aloisio criticized: “Not only have we lost a work of art of inestimable value, but we have also witnessed an inefficient and chaotic approach by the responsible authorities.” (nil/sda/dpa)