Marius Zerafa

The Stolen Caravaggio Marius Zerafa

In 1984 the St Jerome, a signed oil painting by Michelangelo Morisi de Caravaggio was stolen from the magnificent Co-Cathedral of St. Johns in Valetta, Malta. All efforts to trace this great work of art proved fruitless. Despite the involvement of Interpol and the Malta Police the trail went cold for the next two years. Until, one evening Father Zerafa, then director of the cathedral museum, was contacted by the thieves with this message: "We have the painting. We want money. Don't contact the police ... or else ..."