Giambologna's Medusa Head Must Return to Florentine Nymphaeum

The Court of Cassation ruled on August 10, 2024, that a marble head of Medusa attributed to Giambologna (Jean de Boulogne, 1529–1608) must be returned to the Ninfeo della Fata Morgana in Bagno a Ripoli, near Florence. The sculpture, created in 1572 for the nymphaeum's fountain, disappeared around the 1920s and resurfaced in autumn 2023 when it was consigned for auction at Pandolfini with an estimate of €10,000–15,000. The Carabinieri Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Culturale seized it in October 2023 after a tip-off. The current owner, a Florentine noblewoman who inherited the piece, appealed the seizure, but the Supreme Court confirmed that the work was removed without authorization. The nymphaeum complex, built between 1573 and 1574 for Bernardo Vecchietti, also housed a statue of the Fata Morgana, which was stolen earlier and reappeared at Christie's London in 1989, now in a private collection. Bagno a Ripoli's mayor Francesco Pignotti celebrated the ruling, stating the municipality will work to return the Medusa to the site, which is undergoing restoration funded by the municipality (€200,000), Fondazione CR Firenze (€40,000), and a crowdfunding campaign by Artigianato e Palazzo. A copy of the original Fata Morgana statue will also be placed there pending the return of the original.