A stolen Banksy mural has been recovered in Italy. The piece in question was painted on one of the doors at the Bataclan theatre in Paris, France, in 2018. Thieves stole the door on January 26, 2019. The work features a mourning woman wearing a veil done in white paint. Banksy created the work to honor the lives of the 90 victims of the attack on the Bataclan theatre in 2015 by terrorist group ISIS.
Authorities stated that the motivation behind the theft is thought to be financial, not political, though the crime sent a hurtful message, as the work had become a solace to the people of Paris. “It belongs to the Bataclan, it belongs to all of France in a sense,” said Christophe Cengig, a French embassy official in Rome, to AP.
At the time of the theft a Bataclan representative was quoted saying, "Today we are filled with a deep sense of indignation. Banksy's work, a symbol of reflection that belongs to everyone - residents, Parisians and world citizens - has been taken away from us."
Over a year later, the piece has been found in a farmhouse in Italy. The French officer who tracked down the missing piece and was responsible for it’s retrieval was also present at the Bataclan the night of the terrorist attack. So far, no arrests have been made.
