NAPLES, Italy (LifeSiteNews) — An immigrant man has been arrested after attempting to take the mitre displayed on the bust of St. Januarius inside the cathedral in Naples, Italy.
On July 8, a 43-year-old foreign national was arrested after attempting to steal the mitre displayed on the bust of St. Januarius inside Naples Cathedral. The relic was recovered within minutes through the coordinated response of the Italian Carabinieri and Army personnel serving under the “Strade Sicure” (“Safe Streets”) security operation. According to Italian authorities, the suspect will face a charge of attempted aggravated theft.
According to information released by the authorities, the man entered the cathedral alone and walked directly toward the altar where the bust of St. Januarius, the patron saint of Naples and the Campania region, is displayed. He removed the bishop’s mitre from the bust and quickly headed toward the exit before leaving the church.
The cathedral’s custodian immediately noticed what had happened and alerted Italy’s emergency services, triggering the police response.
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The surveillance system installed outside the cathedral allowed operators at the Naples Provincial Carabinieri Command to identify the suspect as he moved away from the building. Army personnel stationed nearby as part of the “Strade Sicure” operation were informed of the suspect’s movements by radio and intercepted him a short distance from the cathedral.
Carabinieri officers from the Naples Radiomobile Unit arrived shortly afterward, placed the man under arrest, and recovered the mitre intact.
“The relic was recovered,” authorities confirmed after the arrest.
They added that the intervention relied on close coordination between the emergency operations centre, surveillance cameras positioned in front of the cathedral, Army personnel deployed in the area, and responding Carabinieri officers. The sequence of events – from the emergency call to the recovery of the mitre – unfolded within only a few minutes.
The thief had attempted to steal the mitre of St. Januarius, one of the principal devotional objects associated with the patron saint and former bishop of Naples. Following the recovery of the relic, devotees were reassured that it had been returned safely to the cathedral.
St. Januarius, known in Southern Italy as “San Gennaro,” is revered as the patron saint of Naples and the wider Campania region. His bust, together with its liturgical ornaments, is displayed inside Naples Cathedral, one of the city’s principal churches and a major destination for pilgrims and visitors.
The mitre on the bust of St. Januarius has immense value – artistic, historical, and devotional alike. It is not a mere ornament but a sacred jewel crafted in the 17th century, adorned with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds donated over the centuries by monarchs and faithful devotees.
It forms part of the renowned “Treasure of St. Januarius,” regarded as one of the richest collections of sacred art in the world. From an economic standpoint, the mitre’s material worth is estimated to be worth 20 million euros, or around $22.9 million.