The Venetian Madonna taken from an Abruzzo basilica
Residents repaired the basilica’s roof with tiles salvaged from ruined homes. A Renaissance panel taken from the church during the occupation has yet to return.
The small mountain town of Pescocostanzo housed a Venetian Renaissance panel by Palma il Vecchio in Santa Maria del Colle. The church stands above the town and incorporates several periods of building and decoration. Its holdings included local sculpture and carved furnishings as well as paintings.
During the German occupation of the town in 1943, mines destroyed private homes and the church suffered damage. Residents used salvaged roof tiles to repair the basilica. Around the same time, according to the foundation’s reconstruction, German troops removed paintings, small marble statues and liturgical objects from the church.
Among the paintings was this nearly metre-high Virgin and Child with Saints. The foundation dates the removal to November 1943 and reports no confirmed sighting since. The image published for the search comes from the Italian Carabinieri’s cultural heritage command and identifies the actual panel sought.
Artwork Details & DocumentationIdentification, ownership history and supporting records
Individual artwork identification details have not yet been documented in this record. Missing specifications are not inferred from the photograph or report headline.
Not documented in this record: object type · materials & technique · measurements · inscriptions & markings · distinguishing features · artwork title · maker / attribution · creation date / period · subject.
Record sources
Identification details follow the Object ID categories where documented. Ownership history is recorded separately; this documentation is not an authentication or a certificate of ownership.
Documentary sources
- Monuments Men and Women Foundation · Wartime loss dossier ↗
- Italian Ministry of Culture · Santa Maria del Colle ↗
An original ArtTraceX synthesis. Sources checked .