Gaffe clamorosa dello Stato. Un’opera del Trecento scambiata per un dipinto dell’Ottocento: perduta per sempre

The Italian state has definitively lost a 14th-century painting, a 'Madonna and Child' by the Master of the Baptistery of Parma, after a catastrophic bureaucratic error. In 2020, a Swiss company purchased the work at auction in Italy for €38,000, classified as a modest 19th-century devotional piece. The Ministry of Culture, then led by Dario Franceschini, issued an export certificate, noting the work's limited quality and local religious interest. The date '1350' on the back was misread as '1850' due to wear. After export, a 2022 restoration revealed the true date and the work's significant artistic value. Christie's later estimated it at £400,000–£500,000. The state tried to annul the export authorization, but the buyer successfully challenged this in court. The Council of State's final ruling in May 2025 confirmed the legality of the export, making the loss irreversible.