Editing Caravaggio (section)

== Theft ==
[[File:Caravaggio 005.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|''[[Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence]]'', 1600; stolen in 1969]]

In October 1969, two thieves entered the [[Oratory of Saint Lawrence]] in [[Palermo]], [[Sicily]], and stole Caravaggio's ''[[Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence]]'' from its frame.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/dec/10/restitution-lost-beauty-stolen-caravaggio-nativity-replica-brought-palermo|title='Restitution of a lost beauty': Caravaggio Nativity replica brought to Palermo|first=Stephanie|last=Kirchgaessner|date=10 December 2015|access-date=19 December 2018|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=London}}</ref> Experts estimated its value at $20&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/vc_majorthefts/arttheft/caravaggio|title=FBI — Caravaggio|publisher=Fbi.gov|date=17 September 2012|access-date=18 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020071907/http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/vc_majorthefts/arttheft/caravaggio|archive-date=20 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sooke|first=Alastair|title=Caravaggio's Nativity: Hunting a stolen masterpiece|date=23 December 2013|publisher=[[BBC]]|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131219-hunting-a-stolen-masterpiece|access-date=24 December 2013}}</ref>

Following the theft, [[Italian police]] set up an [[art theft]] task force with the specific aim of re-acquiring lost and stolen artworks. Since the creation of this task force, many leads have been followed regarding the ''Nativity''. Former [[Italian mafia]] members have stated that ''Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence'' was stolen by the [[Sicilian Mafia]] and displayed at important mafia gatherings.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03n2yzh|title=The World's Most Expensive Stolen Paintings – BBC Two|website=BBC|access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref> Former mafia members have said that the ''Nativity'' was damaged and has since been destroyed.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>

The whereabouts of the painting are still unknown. A reproduction currently hangs in its place in the Oratory of San Lorenzo.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>

In December 1984, ''[[Saint Jerome Writing (Caravaggio, Valletta)|Saint Jerome Writing]]'' (Caravaggio, Valletta) was stolen from the St. John's Co-Cathedral, Malta. The canvas was cut out of the frame. The painting was recovered two years later, following negotiations between the thieves and Fr. Marius J. Zerafa, then the Director of Museums in Malta. A full account of the theft and successful recovery had been recorded by Fr. Marius J. Zerafa in his book ''Caravaggio Diaries''.