On July 28, ten individuals ransacked the Lilli Petroli fuel distribution company headquarters in L’Aquila, Italy, for over eight hours, stealing approximately £4 million ($4.63 million) worth of art.
About thirty artworks belonging to Mauro Lilli were taken, including Picasso bas-reliefs, a Manzù bronze sculpture, and Mannerist paintings by Bruno d’Arcevia. The thieves broke through the security gate using one of the company’s trucks and made off with pieces that didn’t seem to be their usual target.
Mauro Lilli described the aftermath as a mess, with damage done to furniture and the floors. Art Recovery International founder Christopher Marinello speculated it could be an act of revenge against Mauro or the company itself rather than a typical art theft operation. Local police and the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit are investigating.
The case contradicts earlier suspicions that thieves were members of an international art trafficking network, suggesting the heist might have had personal motives.
