A few evenings ago, he was found by prelates who were concerned that he had not answered his phone calls all day. The lifeless body was lying on the bed in pajamas with its legs hanging down and at first glance it seemed that it intended to get up, Il Messagero reported, citing Rador.

Monsignor Michele Basso died suddenly in his apartment near the Vatican Basilica, probably of a heart attack. For a long time he complained about pains and minor health disorders caused by old age.

The departure of this collector, who takes with him to the grave the secrets associated with the incredible and fabulous collection of works of art that he owned, leaves the story without an end.

What is the origin of the treasures?

His collection of works of art contains dozens and dozens of ancient objects, weighing on serious suspicions, internal investigations and, of course, the silent embarrassment of the Vatican authorities, because until now the origin of these treasures was not at all known.

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, a Franciscan, the new dean of the basilica for less than a year, inherited the problem of his predecessor, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, who was quickly fired by Pope Francis after a series of administrative entanglements.

Basso’s magnificent collection was packed and protected in approximately thirty fireproof boxes placed in a highly secure location. They were sealed with the permission of the State Secretariat and placed in a room under the dome of the basilica.

Inside the boxes are approximately seventy archaeological materials, marble and wooden statues, paintings on canvas, engraved copper plates and sketches on paper.

The most interesting piece of this mysterious collection is a wonderful early 20th century copy of the famous Euphronius krater, the Etruscan original of which is kept in the Villa Giulia museum. After it was stolen in 1971 by desecration of graves, smuggled to the US and bought by the New York subway, the crater became the subject of a diplomatic dispute between the US and Italy.

A copy now in the hands of the Vatican risks throwing everything into doubt again, as it would dispute the opening date of the original, which the Metropolitan Museum was forced to return. If the real crater was only discovered in 1971 during underground excavations near Cerveteri, how is it possible that the Vatican has a copy made at the end of the 20th century?

A riddle that the State Secretariat will have to solve sooner or later. The treasure chest, closed in voluminous green boxes of different sizes, was also seen at the time by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State. Then the case was closed, and Monsignor Basso continued to repeat to those who asked him for information about the origin of this treasure that everything was fine.

He previously said that he had been able to accumulate artworks since the early 1990s, but forgot to mention that in the 2000s these works got him into trouble with the law. During this time, he became the focus of an investigation by the prosecutor’s office in Rome, which was subsequently postponed and ended in nothing.

Since then, various attempts have been made cyclically and cautiously at the Vatican to find the key to the problem and to understand the origin of this deposit of artworks. In the meantime, taking into account its commercial value, measures were taken to carry out a kind of inventory and store the works without much publicity in one of the less accessible places of the basilica.

suspicions

Were these items part of the private collections inherited by Basso? Were they legitimately acquired over time, or were they legacies left over from monasteries, religious institutions, gifts received from benefactors, or church assets that were never cataloged?

Here are canvases of the Mattia Preti school, sketches by Pietro da Cortona, wooden tables by Guercino, Golcius, Pasqualotto, as well as wood carvings from the 17th century and even a white marble sculpture inspired by Michelangelo’s Prisoners. The real fabrics, mixed with various fakes, are made by very skilled smiths working in Rome.

Among the objects are several examples of Etruscan and Roman tableware reproduced so well that they appear authentic, among them the famous copy of the Euphronius vase with a commercial value of €15,000. In Rome at the end of the 19th century, it became almost fashionable to reproduce Roman or Etruscan artifacts in all their minute details. The skill of some craftsmen has produced such unusual forgeries that they also have a thriving international market.

Two years ago, Pope Francis ordered an internal audit of the management of the Fabbrica di San Pietro (the Roman Catholic Church institution responsible for the preservation and maintenance of St. Peter’s Basilica), entrusting this mission to a priest in whom he had great confidence.

When asked about the paintings, Don Michele Basso told Il Messaggero: “I donated everything to the Fabbrica di San Pietro. Now I am no longer the owner. I don’t know anything more about it.” But how did you accumulate this treasure? “It’s like having a lot of shoes in your closet. Some were bought, others were given,” Il Messagero reported, citing Rador.