Lost and found. Breve storia di un dipinto con sant’Agata trafugato nel 1867 a Santa Maria in Trastevere

This essay reconstructs the intriguing history of a small mural of Saint Agatha, detached and transferred on a new canvas support, whose provenance has long been debated. First published by Pietro Toesca in 1948 and attributed to the 7th century, the painting was believed to come from Santa Maria Antiqua in the Roman Forum. However, recent archival discoveries and scholarly contributions have traced its journey from the Fairfax Murray collection to Toesca’s hands, revealing new insights into its dating and original context. A pivotal hypothesis, first proposed by Maria Andaloro in 1991 and revisited here, suggests that the wall-painting was unearthed during the 1867 excavations in the presbytery of Santa Maria in Trastevere, near the legendary Fons Olei. This theory is supported by a diary entry from canon Gioacchino Cressedi, which documents the discovery and detachment of a mural of Saint Agatha. The essay situates the painting within the broader historical and artistic context of early medieval Rome, proposing a date in the first half of the 7th century and a likely placement within a decorative scheme with clipeate images of saints. It also explores the socio-political climate of 19th century Rome, marked by the decline of the Papal States and the rise of the art market, suggesting that the mural was stolen and sold during conservation works. Through a multidisciplinary approach combining art history, archival research, and historiography, the study reclaims the painting’s likely origin and sheds light on the mechanisms of cultural heritage displacement in post-unification Italy.