Vatican Police Arrest Former Employee Over Attempted Manuscript Extortion

A former Vatican employee has been detained on charges of attempted extortion after trying to sell a 17th-century manuscript depicting Bernini's altar canopy designs back to the Holy See. The manuscript, which vanished from the basilica archives, features early specifications for the gilding of St. Peter's Basilica's baldacchino.

Vatican police have detained a former employee on charges of attempted extortion, following allegations that he tried to sell a 17th-century gilded manuscript back to the Holy See. The document outlines Bernini's designs for the altar canopy of St. Peter's Basilica.

According to Vatican prosecutors, the 18-page manuscript, containing the earliest known specifications for the gilding of the canopy, reportedly disappeared from the basilica archives.

The suspect, a former worker at the Fabbrica di San Pietro, was apprehended following a transaction on May 27. The Vatican claims to have set a trap after the manuscript was reported missing, closely monitoring negotiations until money exchanged hands. The provenance and authenticity of the manuscript remain disputed.

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