Arrests Made in Codex Calixtinus Case

Last year I covered the disappearance of the Codex Calixtinus, a guide to the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage that was written during the twelfth century. Two days ago Spanish police announced that arrests had finally been made in the case following a year-long investigation.

The key suspect is a man who was sacked after working for the cathedral as a caretaker, electrician and odd job man for more than 25 years, police said in a statement. The force did not name the man but said his wife, son and another woman linked to the family were also detained.

Police said they had also recovered at least 1.2 million euros ($1.5 million), eight copies of the Codex and other ancient books that had also disappeared from the cathedral, during searches of garages, houses and storage rooms.

In my original article I commented that unique items like the Codex, while valuable, were extremely difficult to sell on the open market. Apparently, though, I just don't have the right connections. If the charges are true, this particular thief must have known more than I do about moving stolen goods, because his operation appears to have been highly profitable. There certainly is no way he would have been able to save up 1.2 million euros working as a church handyman. At any rate, I'm happy to see that this priceless religious relic has been recovered.