The preliminary value of the lots exceeds 800 million euros
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has decided to sell gifts received from heads of state. According to the law, she is not allowed to use gifts valued over 300 euros. As a result, the items are stored at the Palazzo Chigi, and it has been decided to direct the proceeds from their sale to support those in need, as reported by "1news.az".
The catalog includes 270 items. Among them, one can find a gold ring with diamonds gifted by the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, an expensive set of a brooch, ring, and earrings from the President of Slovakia, a silver bust of Gandhi from Narendra Modi, porcelain items from Viktor Orban, and a certain "plaque" from Volodymyr Zelensky. The list also features designer furniture, branded accessories, and traditional clothing, including a headdress gifted by a Native American reservation leader.
The preliminary estimate of the gifts is over 800 million euros; however, the final amount may be significantly higher, as many items possess historical or cultural value. For example, at one of the previous auctions, a leaflet from the terrorist group "Red Brigades," dedicated to the kidnapping of Prime Minister Aldo Moro in 1978, was sold. With a starting price of 600 euros, it was auctioned off for 32,760 euros.
However, there is a threat looming over the auction. The auction house Bertolami Fine Art, which was supposed to conduct the evaluation and organization of the bidding, has found itself at the center of a legal dispute due to suspicions of illegal trade in archaeological finds obtained from "black diggers," as well as money laundering.
As a result, the Prime Minister's office has suspended the project until the investigation is completed.
Bertolami Fine Art was already involved in a scandal in 2022 when it sold the aforementioned leaflet. At that time, Giorgia Meloni condemned the commercialization of tragic pages in Italian history.
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