Bankitalia wins lawsuit against the Savoy family for the jewellery on deposit
According to the Court of Rome, the jewels delivered by the Minister of the Royal House, Falcone Lucifero, to the Bank of Italy on 5 June 1946 (three days after the institutional referendum for the choice between monarchy and republic) are 'jewels of the Crown's endowment' and not personal property
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The Court of Rome rejected the Savoy family's request to ascertain their right of ownership of the jewels deposited with the Bank of Italy. The jewels, consigned by the Minister of the Royal Household Falcone Lucifero to the Bank of Italy on 5 June 1946 (three days after the institutional referendum for the choice between monarchy and republic) were in fact 'jewels belonging to the Crown' and not personal property.
An estimated value of 300 million
.The Court of Rome also declared the question of constitutional legitimacy raised by the plaintiffs manifestly unfounded and rejected the request to refer the matter to the Court of Justice. Commenting on the news was Olina Capolino, until two years ago chief lawyer at the Bank of Italy. "This is the right conclusion to a case that I have followed professionally for years, and as a citizen I now hope that the State will soon display these historic jewellery pieces in a museum," she said. According to indications from open sources, there is only a part of the Savoy house jewels with an estimated value of EUR 300 million in the box kept in the Bank of Italy.
The Savoy family asked for the return of the jewels to the Bank of Italy in 2021 but following the negative response that came in December of that year (Governor Ignazio Visco), the following year they initiated a lawsuit brought by Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, Maria Beatrice of Savoy, Maria Pia of Savoy and Maria Gabriella against the same Bank, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of the Economy. The Savoy family relied precisely on Falcone Lucifero's record of deposit of 'jewels of endowment of the Crown of the Kingdom of Italy' as purchases and gifts of the members of the House of Savoy, but the judge of the second civil section of the Court of Rome ruled in favour of the Bank. According to press reports, there were 6,732 brilliants and 2,000 pearls of various sizes for a total of almost 2,000 carats in the case kept in Via Nazionale. The jewels of which the Bank of Italy is custodian were never displayed.
