Rome exhibition showcases masterpieces saved from WWII destruction and Nazi looting

A major exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome presents around one hundred artworks that were saved from wartime destruction or laboriously recovered after World War II. The show, titled 'Guerra e Patrimonio Culturale,' spans several sections: forced exports and the market during the Axis years, the heroic efforts of Italian officials to safeguard cultural heritage, and the postwar restitution led by figures like Rodolfo Siviero and the Monuments Men. Among the masterpieces on display are the Lancellotti Discobolus, Piero della Francesca's Madonna di Senigallia, Titian's Danae, and works by Bellini, Guercino, Signorelli, Holbein, Barocci, Van Dyck, Hayez, Crivelli, Lotto, and Maratta, as well as tapestries, statues, and archaeological finds. The exhibition documents the unscrupulous Nazi appropriations and the courageous actions of superintendents, museum directors, and state officials who risked their lives to protect the works. It also highlights the role of Pasquale Rotondi, who saved thousands of pieces from galleries in Venice, Milan, Urbino, and Rome, and other officials like Giulio Carlo Argan, Palma Bucarelli, Fernanda Wittgens, and Emilio Lavagnino. The final section recounts the postwar search and recovery operations involving Italian officials, Allied intelligence, and the Monuments Men. The exhibition runs through 2023 at the Scuderie del Quirinale.