(ANSA) - Civitavecchia, October 12 - A retired police officer is this week planning to break four decades of silence over a 500-year-old copy of a Raphael masterpiece concealed in his quiet suburban apartment. The painting, thought to be by painter and printmaker Ugo Da Carpi, was first identified in 1972 as a perfect reproduction of one of Raphael's most famous frescos from papal apartments in the Vatican. The only copy ever made of 'The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple', the poorly preserved tempera painting was certified as an identical copy by leading Raphael expert Nicole Dacos shortly after its discovery. ''This is no mere hypothesis,'' Dacos told ANSA, adding she was ''absolutely convinced'' of its accuracy. Discussing her examination of the work 37 years ago, she said ''the same methods'' had been used to design the faces and paint the cloth as in the Raphael piece. According to Dacos, the wall painting was produced at the same time or shortly after the original in the private rooms of Pope Julius II, which Raphael worked on between 1511 and 1514. She believes the work was created by Ugo da Carpi, who moved in the same circles as Raphael. Only one painting has survived by the artist but many of the woodcut prints for which he was famous are still in existence.

The majority of his prints depicted Parmigianino and Raphael paintings, displaying his skill at reproducing works by others and lending support to Dacos's attribution. The artwork was painted on the walls of a building that was originally a tower in the outlying town of Civitavecchia probably used for military purposes.

Over the centuries, the building's structure has been radically altered and the painting today adorns the bedroom wall of a modest apartment belonging to the now-retired officer Tarcisio and his wife Teresa. Tarcisio discovered the painting in 1972 while decorating the apartment, not long after moving in with his young family. After stripping down layers and layers of old paint, he eventually came to a fragment showing a sword and arm of what appeared to be a ''large angel''. Investigating further, he discovered that other parts of the room were also covered with sections of an ancient wall painting. A respected journalist, Alvaro Ranzoni, learned of the discovery and brought in a series of experts to examine the work, all of whom confirmed its great age. One of these was Dacos, who immediately spotted its resemblance to the Raphael painting in the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

However, Tarcisio's initial excitement turned to concern when he started to believe his home might be confiscated in order to protect the work and, tired of constant interference, he decided to paper over the fresco. Ranzoni managed to convince Tarcisio to leave a small fragment of the painting uncovered, hoping to one day write a story on the piece. But not long after he was sent abroad as a foreign correspondent, his editor changed, and the story was never written. Now both men are retired, and Ranzoni has convinced Tarcisio that the work should be restored and embarked on efforts to find funding, starting with a press conference on Wednesday.

Dacos will also return to the small town 80 kilometres outside Rome to add her voice to the plea. ''It is crucial that this Civitavecchia copy is studied,'' she said, stressing the importance of preserving the fast-fading painting. ''It is a one-off phenomenon that will add a vital chapter to art history before [the sack of Rome in] 1527''.

Meanwhile, after four decades of sleeping in the same room as the painting, Tarcisio has made his peace with the idea. ''My children want nothing to do with it but after so many years living with it, to be honest, I'd be happy to know a bit more about it'', he said.