During his visit to King Charles III, Albanian cardinal Ernest Simoni’s home in Florence is burgled

The home of 97-year-old Albanian cardinal Ernest Simoni, located in Piazza Duomo in Florence, was burgled while he was in London for an official meeting with King Charles III. The thieves entered the apartment after damaging part of the wall and forcing open the armored door with chisels, taking valuables worth more than 30,000 euros.

At the time of the burglary, the home where the cardinal lives with his nephew, Tonin Simoni, was empty. The family left at around 1:00 p.m. and returned at 11:00 p.m., when they found the apartment ransacked, with drawers open, suitcases torn apart and the chisels left in the hallway by the perpetrators.

The burglars took cash, gold jewelry, medals and a valuable seal. Among the stolen items was Cardinal Ernest Simoni’s residence permit, a detail that has raised suspicions among investigators.

Tonin Simoni said the family may have been under surveillance. “We never expected anything like this. We thought we were safe. It is unbelievable that such a burglary could happen in Piazza Duomo, perhaps even in broad daylight. It is a disgrace for the city… I am convinced that they had been watching us; they knew exactly that no one was home. The theft of the residence permit is strange; I do not understand why anyone would need it, except if they intended to forge it.”

Forensic police and the Carabinieri have taken the numerous security camera recordings installed in Piazza Duomo for examination. The square is considered one of the most heavily monitored areas of the city. However, it remains unclear how no one in the building, including the priest who lives one floor below, heard the sound of the wall collapsing.