In recent years, Tignale has been the scene of events that have impacted the artistic and cultural heritage of the province of Brescia, marking an alarming trend of thefts and attempted thefts. On October 22, 2017, the parish priest of the Sanctuary reported the theft of precious reliquaries containing the blood of Saint John Paul II and bone fragments of Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, taken by thieves who entered the sanctuary posing as tourists. This incident highlighted the vulnerability of local religious and artistic structures. Recently, another serious theft occurred on the night of March 6, 2024, at the exhibition space “D’Annunzio Segreto” at the Vittoriale, where 48 gold artworks were stolen, valued at approximately 1.2 million euros. Similar incidents have also affected the Chapel of the Redeemer in Manerbio and Pompiano, involving the theft of sacred crowns. Although many of these thefts remain unsolved, in January 2022, five individuals were arrested for the theft that took place in 2017 in Chiari, demonstrating that law enforcement is intensifying efforts to combat this criminal phenomenon. Italian Version
Theft of artistic heritage in Tignale and Brescia: a worrying phenomenon
