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500 Year Old Stolen Copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ Found

talian police found a 500-year-old copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ hidden inside a bedroom cupboard in Naples. The stolen painting is one of roughly 20 surviving copies attributed to Leonardo’s followers. The painting belongs to the Basilica di San Domenico Maggiore’s Doma Museum. Investigators recovered the five century old work from the apartment of an unnamed 36-year-old man who claimed he bought the painting at a flea market. He was promptly arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen goods. Curiously, the museum’s staff did not even realize that the artwork was missing. Due to the pandemic, the room where the painting was kept had not been open for three months. Authorities found no signs of a break-in, making it unclear exactly when and how the painting was stolen. Police Chief Alfredo Fabbrocini said that the discovery was especially rewarding because they had solved the case before the museum even knew that the artwork was missing.