Series of Thefts targeting Religious Painting and Statue
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
Photo: quotidianodipuglia