An Italian junior culture minister, Vittorio Sgarbi, is facing accusations of possessing and showcasing a stolen 17th-century painting, a claim he denies.

The allegations involve Sgarbi being under investigation for handling stolen goods, particularly concerning his inclusion of "The Capture of Saint Peter" in a 2021 exhibition.

The painting, created by Rutilio Manetti, a follower of the Baroque master Caravaggio, was reported stolen in 2013 from a castle in the northern Italian region of Piedmont.

Sgarbi, a well-known art critic and TV personality with a history of convictions for slander, is also accused of modifying the painting by adding a candle to the top corner, purportedly to obscure its origin.

He asserts that he discovered the artwork while restoring a villa purchased by his mother over two decades ago. According to Sgarbi, the painting he possesses is the original, while the one reported stolen in 2013 was a mere copy.

These allegations surfaced during an investigation by the Italian TV broadcaster Rai's program 'Report.' The owner of the castle, who reported the painting stolen, disclosed that the canvas had been cut out of the frame in 2013.

Additionally, she mentioned that a friend of Sgarbi had shown interest in purchasing the artwork during a prior visit to the property.

'Report' also revealed that another acquaintance of the politician later sent a damaged painting of "The Capture of Saint Peter" to a restorer, bearing a hole matching the shape of a canvas piece cut from the Piedmont castle frame in 2013.

By the time Sgarbi displayed the restored work in 2021, it featured the added detail of a candle in the top corner.

In a separate development, Sgarbi is now confronting accusations related to another artwork: a painting attributed to the French artist Valentin de Boulogne, valued at €5m (£4.3m), seized by police in Montecarlo.

Mr Sgarbi is being investigated by a prosecutor for illegally exporting the painting. He says it is a copy - and that it did not belong to him. The BBC has contacted Mr Sgarbi but has received no response.

Opposition parties have called for Mr Sgarbi's sacking, with the Five Star Movement saying it would present a motion in parliament for his dismissal.

It is the second embarrassment to hit the Italian government this year, after a governing party MP was put under investigation for taking a handgun to a New Year's Eve party, which went off, injuring a fellow guest. Emanuele Pozzolo denied that he fired the weapon but has now been suspended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Ms Meloni's Brothers of Italy party is still riding high in the opinion polls and her right-wing coalition looks stable - for now.

But in the run-up to the European elections in June, all parties will be seizing on any weakness or opportunity they can exploit. There have already been public displays of tension with her coalition partner Matteo Salvini.

This could be a year when Italian politics gets even nastier. And the prime minister will be hoping that scandals don't come in threes.

Noted