Theft took place in southern Italy
A 42-year-old man from Castel Volturno plucked a floor tile of a 19th century hall of the Royal Palace of Caserta in southern Italy
and was denounced by the police for the crime of theft of cultural goods.
Italian authorities discovered the theft because the Italian, whose identity has not been revealed, was f recorded by the monument’s surveillance cameras
.
The “unique piece” was returned to the director of the site, Tiziana Maffei, and will now be able to be replaced in the hall of the Royal Palace of Vanvitelli.
The theft took place on March 16, shortly after 3 pm (local time), when the 42-year-old man, who arrived alone, went through the entrance door that gives access to the Battle room, see the floor tile detached from the floor
. He thinks, takes a few steps back, bends down and picks up the “souvenir” hiding it in a yellow envelope to then continue the visit.
O surveillance service coordinator
from the museum site, in the usual round of checks, noticed what had happened and informed the management, who called the caserta police officers.
Through the videos, the officers were able to trace the identity of the man.
After a search of the Italian’s residence, the part was located after being cataloged and stored in a plastic bag.