France Returns a €25 mln Picasso Painting Back to Spain

Earlier this week a team of Spanish experts flew to the French island of Corsica to retrieve a masterpiece by Pablo Picasso that was smuggled out of Spain, where it is considered a national treasure, The Guardian reports.

A spokesman for Spain’s Civil Guard told The Guardian that the painting, Head of a Young Woman, which is valued at €25m, was expected to be back in Spain by this past Tuesday.

As it was reported earlier, French customs officers discovered a Picasso painting on one of the yachts near the Corsican. According to the police, the painting was being smuggled to Switzerland – the captain of the boat was unable to produce a certificate for it, but on board they found the document confirming that the work was of cultural interest and was banned from leaving Spain. It is worth noting that the boat belongs to Grupo Santander, and the former vice-president of the group is banker Jaime Botin, the real owner of the painting.

(Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images)