Italy's far-right government sees first resignation thelocal.it - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thelocal.it Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Italian junior culture minister and art critic Vittorio Sgarbi, under investigation over possession of a stolen painting, said on Friday he was quitting because Rome's antitrust body was trying to curb his unofficial duties. Sgarbi, 71, is a long-serving parliamentarian and outspoken TV personality. Sgarbi has been under pressure to resign for weeks over the painting scandal, but said he was quitting "to avoid a conflict of interest" before beginning a lecture on Renaissance artist Michelangelo in Milan, Reuters reported.