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BBC Learning English
Words in the News
10
th
March 2010
Sale of Vasari's papers suddenly stopped
A sale of the papers of Giorgio Vasari, thought of as the founder of European art history, has
been stopped at the last moment. The papers were being sold to pay off tax debts, but the
family said the price was too low. This report from Duncan Kennedy:
Giorgio Vasari lived in the 16th century and was
an acclaimed artist
himself. But it was in
chronicling
the lives of other Renaissance artists that he earned his reputation as
the founder
of
European art history. His most famous work, called Lives of the Most Excellent Painters,
Sculptors and Architects, contains letters to and from Michaelangelo, local rulers and popes.
The papers were seized by Italy's tax authorities
in lieu of unpaid debts
by the Italian count
who owned them. Some reports say he tried to sell them for $200 million to a Russian gas
billionaire, who then apparently died. The count's family
deny this
. Now
an auction
to sell
the papers for a starting price of three and a half million dollars has been stopped, because the
family say that's too cheap. A judge in Tuscany will now decide if a higher price is more
suitable. One expert has said
the archive
is worth more like $13 million.
The auction was stopped with just 15 minutes
to spare
, when lawyers for
Vasari's heirs
stepped in
. The tax authorities said they had to accept the auctioneer's decision to halt the
sale.
Whatever the final price and whoever buys them, there is one
hitch
: the papers are housed in
Vasari's former home in Tuscany and cannot be moved, by order of the Italian Ministry of
Culture.
Duncan Kennedy, BBC News, Rome
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
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bbclearningenglish.com
Vocabulary and definitions
an acclaimed artist
a well known, respected and highly praised artist
chronicling
writing about, detailing, keeping records of
the founder of
the person who is responsible for starting something
in lieu of unpaid debts
in place of, instead of money that is owed
deny this
say this is not true
an auction
a public sale where people bid against each other, making
higher and higher offers of money; the item is sold to the
person who offers the most money
the archive
the historic collection
to spare
remaining, extra, left over (here, before the auction started)
Vasari's heirs stepped in
the people, who became the owners of Vasari's property
and money after he died, interrupted
hitch
problem, difficulty
More on this story:
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
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bbclearningenglish.com
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