Sky Arte Documentary Revisits Caravaggio's Stolen Masterpiece in Malta

On July 18, 1610, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio died at Porto Ercole under unclear circumstances, possibly from an infected wound. Sky Arte marks the anniversary with the documentary 'Caravaggio – Furto a Malta', airing Thursday, July 18. The film reconstructs events after the 1984 theft of Caravaggio's 'San Girolamo scrivente' from the Museum of the Cathedral of St. John in Valletta, Malta. It highlights Father Marius Zerafa, who died in 2022 at 93. As director of Malta's museums, he personally pursued the painting's recovery. Thieves attempted to sell the work, then demanded ransom from the Maltese government, threatening to burn it. Zerafa traced their phone calls and arranged a meeting to retrieve the masterpiece. The documentary reveals the tragicomic true story of the search for Caravaggio's painting.