Vincenzo Peruggia

Vincenzo Peruggia was an Italian decorator who became famous for a massive crime. In 1911, he stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre museum in Paris. This event is often called the greatest art theft of the 20th century. Peruggia was born Pietro Vincenzo Antonio Peruggia on October 8, 1881, in Dumenza, Italy. He later moved to Paris in 1908 to find work. He worked at the Louvre as a glazier, which is a person who works with glass. He also helped clean and reframe many famous paintings.

Peruggia had specific knowledge that helped him carry out the theft. He helped construct the strong protective case for the Mona Lisa. This case was built to protect the wood panel painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Because of this work, Peruggia knew exactly how to open the frame. He also knew the layout of the museum very well. On August 21, 1911, he entered the Louvre at about 7 am. He wore a white smock, which was the standard clothing for museum employees. This allowed him to blend in with the other workers easily.

The theft happened on a quiet Monday during the summer holidays. The museum was nearly empty because it was a weekly closure day. Peruggia found the Mona Lisa hanging between two other famous works. The painting was held up by four iron pegs on the wall. He lifted the painting off these pegs and took it to a service stairway. There, he removed the protective case and the frame. He hid the discarded parts behind some student artworks on a landing. He then wrapped the painting in his smock and tucked it under his arm.

Peruggia managed to leave the museum by using a service door. A plumber unlocked the door for him, thinking he was a museum employee. The theft was not discovered until the following day. A painter arrived to make a copy of the work and found an empty wall. The museum director was on holiday and had previously doubted such a theft could happen. At least 60 policemen searched the Louvre for clues. They even arrested famous people, including the poet Guillaume Apollinaire and the painter Pablo Picasso. Investigators also searched passengers on ocean liners and ships in New York.

For two years, the painting remained hidden in Peruggia's Paris apartment. The police actually interviewed him twice during their investigation. However, they did not consider him a primary suspect at that time. A detective even leaned on the table where the painting was hidden in a cavity. The police also failed to check Peruggia's fingerprints against their records. This happened because they forgot to add his name to the specific list of people to check. During this time, the theft became a global sensation. Newspapers offered rewards, and many people speculated about the motives behind the crime.

Peruggia eventually took the painting to Italy by train. He kept it in an apartment in Florence for some time. He finally contacted an art gallery owner named Alfredo Geri to return it. Peruggia used the name Leonardo V. to hide his identity. Geri contacted Giovanni Poggi, the director of the Uffizi Gallery, to verify the painting. Once the painting was authenticated, the police were informed and arrested Peruggia at his hotel.

The painting was exhibited across Italy before returning to the Louvre in 1914.

There are two main theories regarding why Peruggia stole the artwork. He claimed he was a patriot who wanted to return the art to Italy. He believed the painting had been stolen from Italy by Napoleon long ago. However, experts question this because he did not donate it to a museum. Instead, he tried to sell it, which suggests a financial motive. He wrote letters to his father about making a large fortune from the theft. Some people even suggest a con man might have masterminded the crime to sell forgeries.

Peruggia's actions had a massive impact on the history of art. While the Mona Lisa was already famous, the theft made it a global icon. The intense media coverage and police investigation brought worldwide attention to the work. After his trial, Peruggia received a very lenient sentence of only seven months in jail. He later served in the Italian army during World War I. He eventually returned to France and worked as a decorator under his birth name. He died of a heart attack on October 8, 1925, on his 44th birthday.