A 16th-century altarpiece by Vittore Carpaccio, *Madonna and Child Enthroned with Six Saints* (1518), has been returned to the Slovenian town of Piran, where it was originally commissioned for the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. The painting was removed in 1940 and placed in Padua for safekeeping during World War II, remaining in the Basilica of Sant’Antonio for decades. Following pressure from Franciscan friars in Padua, the work was quietly transferred back to Piran on September 4, days before Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s state visit to Slovenia. Slovenian Culture Minister Asta Vrečko hailed the return as the result of long-standing efforts.
The return has sparked sharp criticism from Italian politicians, who argue the work remains part of Italy’s cultural patrimony. Senators and deputies from Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party and the League party denounced the transfer, with some invoking the painful history of Italian exiles from Istria and Dalmatia after World War II. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over cultural heritage in regions with contested histories, as the painting is set to be reinstalled in Piran’s St. Francis on December 27 after restoration work.