The Theft and Recovery

The work remained within the Roman collections until the early 2000s, when it was stolen under unclear circumstances. In 2019, Antonio Ximenes's masterpiece, considered an important piece of Risorgimento history, was found by the Carabinieri of the Operational Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the Rome Gianicolense Station and returned to the Museum. The Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC), functionally included within the Ministry of Culture as a direct collaboration office of the Minister, performs essential tasks for the security and safeguarding of the national cultural heritage through activities for the prevention and repression of violations of legislation protecting cultural and landscape assets.