Pompeo Micheli's 'La banda dei piedi scalzi' recounts the 1998 Van Gogh and Cézanne theft at GNAM
Lieutenant Pompeo Micheli of the Carabinieri has released 'La banda dei piedi scalzi', an in-depth exploration of the 1998 heist involving three Van Gogh works and a Cézanne from the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome. This publication marks the beginning of the 'Memoria Arte Legalità' series, dedicated to honoring art recovery initiatives. Micheli recounts a 48-day investigation that utilized wiretaps and surveillance, noting a significant clue from a call referencing 'i pupi sono a nanna'. The art theft took place on May 19, 1998, and the pieces were retrieved on July 6, 1998. The book includes a preface by art historian Luca Nannipieri and a prologue by General Carlo Fischione, with the next installment focusing on the recovery of 17 paintings from the Museo di Castelvecchio.
Key facts
- Three Van Gogh paintings and a Cézanne were stolen from GNAM in Rome on May 19, 1998.
- The robbers acted barefoot to avoid leaving traces, inspiring the book's title.
- The investigation lasted 48 days, ending with recovery on July 6, 1998.
- Works were found in Rome and Turin; two in a rapper's home, the rest in a merchant's warehouse.
- A custodian and her husband were involved in the theft.
- The book is the first in the 'Memoria Arte Legalità' series by Pompeo Micheli.
- The second volume will cover the 1995 theft of 17 paintings from Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona.
- The book features a preface by Luca Nannipieri and a prologue by Carlo Fischione.
Entities
Artists
- Vincent van Gogh
- Paul Cézanne
- Pompeo Micheli
- Sandra Pinto
- Luca Nannipieri
- Carlo Fischione
- Roberto Conforti
Institutions
- Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna (GNAM)
- Arma dei Carabinieri
- Carabinieri per la Tutela per il patrimonio Culturale
- Interpol
- Eurojust
- Museo di Castelvecchio
- Comando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale
- Youcanprint
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Turin
- Verona
- Kiev
- Odessa
- Ukraine
- Moldavia
- Mexico