The Vatican says it has received a ransom demand for the return of a stolen letter by Renaissance artist Michelangelo.
The request for money, made to the cardinal in charge of St Peter's Basilica, was refused, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.
The letter was among several that went missing from Vatican archives in 1997.
Il Messaggero newspaper said an ex-former Vatican employee had demanded €100,000 (£72,000) for the letter.
It said the letter had been written entirely in Michelangelo's hand and signed by him.
This was rare, as the artist normally dictated letters to assistants, writing only his signature, Il Messaggero reported. Other details of the documents have not been disclosed.
It is not clear why the Vatican had not previously made public the theft, which was reported for the first time by the newspaper.
Police are now investigating the case.
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