In the early hours of Wednesday morning, thieves broke into a parish church in the Sevillian town of Paradas, mistakenly stealing...

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, thieves broke into a parish church in the Sevillian town of Paradas, mistakenly stealing a replica of a painting by El Greco after believing it to be the original work. The incident occurred at the Church of San Eutropio, where both the authentic artwork and a publicly displayed copy are housed. The stolen piece was a replica of La Magdalena Penitente, a painting attributed to the 16th-century artist Doménikos Theotokópoulos, known as El Greco. The original painting remains inside the church and was not removed, as it is kept behind protective iron bars and additional security measures. According to investigators, the offenders entered the building at approximately 4.00am, gaining access through a secondary entrance near the sacristy. An alarm was triggered shortly afterwards, alerting authorities to the intrusion. While the thieves succeeded in removing the replica, they were unable to access the original artwork, which is displayed separately from the copy and protected by reinforced security. The authentic painting has long been kept behind metal bars, specifically to prevent theft or damage, while the replica was placed in a more accessible area for visitors. The error indicates that the perpetrators clearly mistook the replica for the original, either due to lack of detailed knowledge of where the original was located or due to insufficient planning. The original El Greco painting, holds considerable artistic and historical value. https://lnkd.in/gisE7Ec5