Evidently, since he placed the bust of Mimmo Rotella at the Mediterranean Biodiversity Park of Catanzaro – International Sculpture Park, alongside the works of the most famous artists in the world, Luigi Pancrazio Verrino had a formidable visibility, which aroused the ravenous appetite of money by the thieves, sacrilegles. The criminals came into action late at night, to steal the large bronze statue of the Madonna of Porto Salvo, a very valuable work of the master sculptor Luigi Pancrazio Verrino who – as announced in recent days during the “procession at sea” by the mayor of Catanzaro Nicola Fiorita – will be placed on a high column, on the pier of the port, to protect the fishermen and sailors. While waiting, the large bronze and the weight of six quintals had remained exposed in the filing of the Calabroparati, in viale Magna Graecia, in Catanzaro. A theft on commission.
The thieves – according to a first reconstruction of the facts – arrived on the spot aboard a truck covered by a tarpaulin, who came down from the vehicle they climbed the fence and tampered with the warehouse window where the Madonna is kept. Once inside, they tried to withdraw the statue despite the weight, but fortunately – suddenly – the alarm took place and they entered the panic, for the immediate and concrete risk of being surprised by the police in the act of crime and, therefore, arrested. Thus, they rushed to flee, empty -handed. The rest is routine, with the ritual investigations by investigators. Report was immediately made to the Carabinieri of Santa Maria di Catanzaro who immediately started the investigations. The criminals were not minimally interested in money, the Fuss Infrti was found intact, nor to the materials that are also deposited outside. The goal was precisely the Madonna.
In many, in addition to the customers of the Calabropatarati, they had gone to see the statue of the Madonna, artists, devotees, fishermen, sailors, politicians, including the deputy mayor of Catanzaro Giusy Iemma, the mayor of Zagarise Domenico Gallelli as Verrino’s native country; And we were waiting for the visit of his excellence Mons. Claudio Maniago Metropolitan Archbishop of Catanzaro-Squillace. To admire the precious works of Verrino was also personally invited the prefect of Catanzaro, his excellence Castrese De Rosa.
Now the statue of the Madonna, who escaped the theft, has been “saved”, transferred to a secret location and subjected to video surveillance 24 hours a day. But the concern remains, especially for the many sculptural works of Luigi Pancrazio Verrino located in Zagarise; His other prestigious works in Sellia Marina where among his other creations there is the splendid statue of Giuditta Levato; Catanzaro, Cuba.
Luigi Pancrazio Verrino is a well -known personality. Successful entrepreneur, he founded the leading Calabropatarates in the sector in the sector in Milan in Milan, then transferred to Calabria, where he was affirmed by the company of excellence in the building sector. Forestry builder, he built the first large commercial structures in via Lucrezia della Valle, in Catanzaro, offices of important offices and management centers. Furnishing of important homes in Milan and in other Italian cities; Painter, sculptor, collector, organizer, curator and artistic director for decades of exhibitions of international caliber. For over thirty years he has founded and directs his art gallery Spazio Catanzaro, in via Lucrezia della Valle. He took care of the organization, setting up and the artistic direction of the most important exhibitions at the Monumental Complex of San Giovanni di Catanzaro, Museo delle Arti Marca Catanzaro, in the Ex Stac Exhibition Room, in the Art Spazio Gallery, in the Galleries of the San Giovanni, Center Arte Spazio Calabroparati, Civic Museum of Taverna, Verrino Zagarise Contemporary Art Museum, Cultural Circle of the Mancuso Village, Castello Santa Severina, and in Exhibitions in Cosenza, Reggio Calabria and other Italian cities. He presented works by Mimmo Rotella, Renato Guttuso, Giorgio De Chirico, Burri, Omar, Zappino, Ceccobelli, Enotrio, Levi, Rite, Lamanna, Martian, of the greatest Calabrian painters and sculptors as well as the transavaggardia, also taking care of many catalogs. Personal friend of Rotella, Pistoletto, Omar, Sgarbi, Bonito Oliva, Sicoli, Cantellaro, and many other artists, critics and collectors of world renowned. Currently, after having placed his bronze sculptures in public places in the presence of the maximum cultural and institutional authorities, including the International Park of Sculpture Biodiversity Open Biodiversity of Catanzaro, he is creating an artistic fountain in the historic center of Zagarise, his hometown, where he is planning the preparation of a new wing of the Museum of Contemporary Art, always under his artistic direction, and the implementation of works in his home. He is also organizing a great exhibition in the Calabrian capital. For his very long prestigious activity he received several awards.