German couple's death in Italy reveals illegal export of more than 60 valuable cultural items from Marbella

The historical heritage section of the Guardia Civil's central operations unit (UCO) has recovered 62 cultural items illegally exported from Spain to Italy by a German couple that used to live in Marbella.

Spain's Ministry of Culture has already said that it will decide the fate of these works, which include an altarpiece, paintings, sculptures, tapestries and antique furniture provisionally valued, according to the police force at more than three million euros.

The export of the works was detected after the death of the German couple in Italy. Investigators had been tracking the loot since they became aware of a communication sent by the Carabinieri police in Italy via Europol in June 2023.

The message reported the police seizure of a polychrome wooden altarpiece from the early 16th century, measuring 1.99 metres high, 1.76 metres wide, and 27 centimetres deep. Subsequently, Renaissance panels, some of them triptychs, and pieces attributed to Amadeo Modigliani, Auguste Rodin and Brueghel were also found.

The altarpiece had been installed in a mansion on the shores of Lake Maggiore in the town of Lesa (Italy). The altarpiece was moved to the Galleria Sabauda in Turin for better security and conservation conditions.

Once the UCO investigation began, the illegal export of the altarpiece was confirmed, which had been expressly denied in 2018 by the Spanish Ministry of Culture when the owners - the German couple based in Marbella - formally requested its departure from the country.

The investigation focused on the manner in which the altarpiece was exported, in addition to verifying whether there were other objects that had been illegally removed.

After learning that more than 90 works had been exported from Marbella to Italy, using the services of a transport company not specialised in this type of object, the images were shared with the Carabinieri.

Italian officers confirmed that many of the works were in the same house where the altarpiece was found, as well as in Italian art galleries and private homes in Genoa and Milan. Other works had already been sold and exported from Italy to other countries.

At the request of the investigators, the court in Marbella processed several European investigation orders addressed to the judicial authorities of Italy and Germany, as well as an international rogatory letter to the UK, in order to obtain the restitution of the works under investigation in those countries.

On Thursday, 3 July, a ceremony for the restitution of these cultural assets was held at the Galleria Sabauda in Turin, in the presence of the Spanish consul in Milan, the director for cultural heritage and fine arts of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, the the general brigadier head of the Judicial Police of the Guardia Civil and the general head of the command for the protection of cultural heritage of the Carabinieri.