Sacred art stolen from Rio de Janeiro church recovered in Lisbon

Authorities in Portugal have recovered five pieces of sacred art stolen from the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores in Rio de Janeiro. The items, which include four monumental torch holders and a silver cross over two meters tall, were located in an antique shop in Lisbon following an anonymous tip to Brazil’s Fala.BR platform.

Portuguese judicial police (PJ) are appointing an expert to verify the authenticity of the pieces. The artifacts are attributed to José de Oliveira Coutinho, a prominent silversmith active in Brazil from the late 18th century until 1822. Once verified, the items will be prepared for return to Brazilian authorities.

Data from Brazil’s National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) indicates that Rio de Janeiro has 537 missing sacred art items, ranking second nationally in a list of 1,749 lost cultural assets. Estimates suggest the thefts from the Lapa dos Mercadores church occurred between 1947 and the mid-1980s.