Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco | Polémicos robos en museos, discretos robos en catedrales"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina
Host: Nieves Concostrina (Cadena SER)
Date: November 20, 2025

Overview of the Episode's Main Theme

In this episode, Nieves Concostrina brings her irreverent and sharp historical lens to the subject of notorious art thefts. Rather than focus solely on high-profile museum heists, she shines a light on the lesser-known but rampant thefts from Spanish cathedral treasuries and religious institutions. The discussion explores not only the details of these robberies but also the problematic management, accountability, and transparency (or lack thereof) regarding church-held cultural heritage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Media Attention vs. Real Impact (00:28-04:25)

• Recent Louvre Museum theft is used as an entry point, referencing the stolen jewels of several royal ladies—not, as often assumed, those of Napoleon Bonaparte, but rather belonging to figures from Napoleon III’s circle.
  • Quote: "todo se ha resumido en las informaciones del robo al Louvre como el tesoro de Napoleón y todo el mundo ha entendido que era Napoleón Bonaparte el primer, pero no […], sobre todo se refería a otro Napoleón, a su sobrino Napoleón III." (01:17 - Nieves Concostrina)
• The return of the Códice Calixtino to Santiago Cathedral following a notorious theft is presented as a media circus, with politicians (notably then-president Mariano Rajoy) opting for a celebratory approach rather than addressing serious flaws exposed by the crime.
  • Quote: "lo disfrazaron de fiesta mayor. En esa imagen se veía a Rajoy, a su lado a un pasmado Feijóo sin canas y con gafas, varios obispos gordinflones y altos mandos policiales [...]." (02:45 - Nieves Concostrina)
• Contrast in accountability: Directors of major museums like the Louvre or the British Museum have offered resignations after thefts; church authorities, by contrast, rarely admit failure, much less resign, after significant losses.
  • Quote: “¿Qué hace un obispo si dimite? Trabajar. Venga, hombre. Ni siquiera admitieron abiertamente los manifiestos fallos de seguridad.” (04:32 - Nieves Concostrina)

2. The Ambiguous Ownership of Church "Treasures" (04:50-06:19)

• Church patrimony is private, not public, despite frequent media labeling. Concostrina takes issue with the idea that such treasures are “patrimonio español," stressing the lack of inventory or oversight and the opaqueness of church finances.
  • Quote: "No, es mentira eso no es patrimonio español, es patrimonio privado, es patrimonio de la multinacional." (05:49 - Nieves Concostrina)
• Example: The Mosque of Córdoba, a public historical site now charging admission and generating significant revenue for the Church, is cited as a case of "patrimonio público" effectively appropriated by ecclesiastical authorities.

3. The Códice Calixtino: What Was Actually Lost? (06:19-07:45)

• What is the Códice Calixtino?
  • Explained as a 12th-century guide for pilgrims to Santiago, combining (mostly embellished) stories with valuable liturgical music—its true scholarly value.
  • Quote: “Lo más importante y la única verdad que hay en el códice es una colección de posiciones musicales e himnos litúrgicos utilísimos […]. Pero fuera de eso, todo lo demás mentira. Pero el Códice en sí es muy valioso por su antigüedad.” (07:19 - Nieves Concostrina)

4. Systemic Security Failures and Complicity (07:51-13:03)

• Thefts in other Cathedrals: Toledo, Salamanca, Burgos, Murcia, Oviedo, and others suffered repeated or major robberies—often facilitated by nonexistent or shoddy security.
  • Quote (Toledo): “Aquí hay seguridad cero. Lo que me extraña es que no se hayan llevado un Rubens o un Greco de la sacristía. Es alucinante.” (08:15 - Citation of cathedral worker)
  • Cases include lost artworks, jewels, reliquaries, and documents—sometimes not even discovered for years.
• Political and media circus: Concostrina dissects a failed attempt to stage a pseudo-state funeral for dubious “visigothic relics” in Toledo, underscoring political opportunism and lack of rigor (09:25-10:49).
  • Quote: "Esos políticos deberían estar ocupados en los problemas de los toledanos, no por payasadas visigodas para acaparar titulares.” (10:36 - Nieves Concostrina)
• The pattern repeats: lack of inventories, self-serving secrecy, negligence, and absence of meaningful consequences for Church staff.

5. Who Steals, Who Reports, and Who Pays? (11:05-14:19)

• Recovery is spotty: Sometimes items are found (Oviedo’s loot valued at “20.000 millones de pesetas”, 11:40), but often not, and sometimes recovered pieces are mutilated.
• The pattern of “downward responsibility,” where police are called upon to return property that Church authorities have themselves failed to protect.
  • The role of "cepillos" (donation boxes) as lucrative but untrackable sources of income for cathedrals—meaning much theft goes unnoticed or unreported.
  • The Códice Calixtino theft: The internal nature of some robberies (notably the “electricista vengativo,” who stole millions in retaliation for not being made a permanent employee) illustrates both lack of oversight and questionable labor relations in church institutions (13:43-14:19).

6. Broader Critique of Power and Impunity (14:19-15:34)

• Concostrina closes with a sharp critique of Spanish political elites and their intertwined histories of corruption and lack of accountability. She draws a parallel between white-collar thieves and the impunity enjoyed by parts of the Catholic hierarchy.
  • Quote: “Y la mafia en este país iba bajo palio.” (15:33 - Nieves Concostrina)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Church accountability:
  “¿Qué hace un obispo si dimite? Trabajar. Venga, hombre.” (04:32 - Nieves Concostrina)
• On misleading media narratives:
  “No, es mentira eso no es patrimonio español, es patrimonio privado, es patrimonio de la multinacional.” (05:49 - Nieves Concostrina)
• On the true value of the Códice:
  “Lo más importante y la única verdad que hay en el códice es una colección de posiciones musicales e himnos litúrgicos utilísimos.” (07:19 - Nieves Concostrina)
• On political opportunism:
  “Esos políticos deberían estar ocupados en los problemas de los toledanos, no por payasadas visigodas para acaparar titulares.” (10:36 - Nieves Concostrina)
• On persistent impunity:
  “Y la mafia en este país iba bajo palio.” (15:33 - Nieves Concostrina)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:28-01:17 – Introduction: recent museum heists and their misunderstood histories
• 01:04-02:45 – Media circus after return of the Códice Calixtino
• 04:32-04:47 – Zero accountability among Church officials
• 05:49-06:19 – Distinction between public and private patrimony
• 06:34-07:19 – Explanation and real relevance of the Códice Calixtino
• 07:51-11:05 – Overview of major robberies in Spanish cathedrals
• 13:03-14:19 – Internal theft, “cepillos”, and lack of oversight
• 14:19-15:34 – Reflection on political impunity and the blurred lines between sacred and criminal

Conclusion

This episode moves beyond salacious tales of stolen art to dissect the underlying issues of ownership, responsibility, and impunity surrounding sacred patrimony in Spain. Concostrina’s wit and incisive historical commentary expose not just what is stolen, but the systems that make loss—and lack of accountability—possible. Her tone is biting and critical, leveraging humor to address serious flaws in institutional and societal attitudes toward art, history, and justice.