‘Bring it back’: Sicilians say Antonello da Messina’s Ecce Homo belongs with them

The Italian government recently purchased Antonello da Messina's "Ecce Homo" at auction for $14.9 million. This Renaissance masterpiece, depicting Christ, was completed around 1460. A debate has emerged regarding where the painting should be displayed. While museums in Milan, Venice, and Naples are being considered, officials in Messina, Antonello's birthplace, argue the artwork should be returned there. They believe its return would symbolically restore a piece of the city's historical identity, which was largely destroyed by a devastating earthquake in 1908 that killed half the population and destroyed much of the city's cultural heritage. Local officials feel its return would be an act of historical redress.

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories

Discover articles with similar content using semantic similarity analysis.