Has a €120m lost Caravaggio been found in a French attic?

A report in Le Figaro newspaper on Tuesday suggested a long-lost masterpiece by the Italian painter Caravaggio may have been unearthed in the attic of a house in Toulouse, south weste France.

And it’s all thanks to a leaky roof.

The owners of the home went to check the source of the dripping water and stumbled across an old painting that could be Caravaggio’s biblical scene "Judith Beheading Holofees", which dates back to around 1600.

Caravaggio painted two versions of Judith Beaheading Holofees, one of which is on display at the National Gallery of Ancient Art in Rome. The other disappeared around a century after it was painted.

The big question now is whether the work of art found in the attic is actually the lost Caravaggio masterpiece. The answer will be of extreme interest to the owner, given that initial estimations put the value of the masterpiece at €120 million.

French authorities are taking no chances and the ministry of culture classed the painting as a “National Treasure”, which means there is a 30-month ban on it being exported, until experts can determine its authenticity.

According to Europe1 radio the Louvre gallery in Paris would be interested in buying the painting but would need to find the finances.

A spokeswoman for the Louvre told The Local that gallery chiefs had seen the painting but that it could take months or even years before they know whether or not it is Carravaggio’s second version of Judith Beaheading Holofees.

If the Louvre or the French state decline to buy the painting, then it could be sold anywhere in the world.

Either way, if it’s a genuine Caravaggio then the owners of the property in Toulouse should have enough money to fix their leaky roof.