Italian Ministry Loans Antonello da Messina's Ecce Homo to Communion and Liberation Meeting in Rimini

Key facts

• The Ecce Homo by Antonello da Messina was acquired by the Italian state in February 2026 for $15 million.
• The painting was placed in the MuNDA – National Museum of Abruzzo in L'Aquila in June 2026.
• The work is loaned to the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples at the Rimini Fair from August 21 to 26, 2026.
• The Meeting is organized by the Catholic association Communion and Liberation (CL), founded in 1954 by don Luigi Giussani.
• Pope Leo XIV will attend the Meeting, the first pope since John Paul II 44 years ago.
• Several Italian government officials and EU leaders are scheduled to attend, including Antonio Tajani, Roberta Metsola, and Raffaele Fitto.
• The loan is criticized due to the artwork's fragility, recent acquisition, and timing after a theft of Antonello panels in Messina.
• Last year, a work attributed to Perugino was lent to the Meeting from Perugia.
• The exhibition at the Meeting is promoted by the Ministry of Culture and is free for attendees.
• The painting will be absent from L'Aquila for eight days, disappointing local residents.