An altar canvas depicting the Virgin Mary was stolen from the Church of Santa Lucia in Minervino di Lecce, Italy. Authorities and local reports indicate the theft may be linked to a recent similar incident in a nearby town involving the theft of a religious statue. The local community described the act as an "offence to our devotion".
Unknown perpetrators stole a canvas depicting the Virgin Mary from the high altar of the Church of Church of Santa Lucia in Minervino di Lecce.
The stolen artwork, a Baroque-era depiction of the Immaculate Conception, had been displayed on the main altar of the church and is believed to have been taken on 5 June 2026. Local authorities issued a public appeal stating: "This is not a simple theft from the Church: it is a theft from all of us. It is an offense to our history, our identity and our devotion." They also urged the return of the painting, adding: "Give back to Minervino what belongs to Minervino."
The theft occurred shortly after a similar incident in nearby Cerfignano, where a statue of the Madonna dei Fiori was stolen from a church, with investigators considering a possible link between the two cases. The Carabinieri are currently investigating and seeking information from the public.
Source: lecceprima.it / quotidianodipuglia / telenorba.it