The United States has returned more than 250 ancient artefacts to Italy after police discovered that they had been stolen. The art unit of Italy’s police force found that the items had been looted and sold to US museums and private collectors in the 1990s. Among the precious artefacts are pots, paintings, and sculptures, some of which are up to 3,000 years old. Several of the mosaics are worth tens of millions of euros.
The collection includes items from various periods in history, such as the Villanovan age (1000 – 750BC), the Etruscan civilization (800 – 200BC), Magna Graecia (750 – 400BC), and Imperial Rome (27BC – 476AD). Most of the artefacts were stolen in the 1990s and sold through a series of dealers.
One particular selection of artefacts was apparently offered to the Menil Collection, a museum in Houston, Texas. However, the museum declined the offer and instead referred the donor to Italy’s culture ministry. The ministry confirmed that the owner of the collection “spontaneously” returned the items after police discovered their illegal origins.
In addition to the artifacts recovered from US museums, Italy also received 145 artefacts from a bankruptcy procedure against an English antiques dealer, Robin Symes. Symes had amassed thousands of pieces as part of a network of illegal traders.
Italy has long been working to track down stolen antiques and artefacts that have been sold to private collectors and museums. In September 2022, New York returned $19 million worth of stolen art to Italy, including a marble head of the goddess Athena from 200BC, which is estimated to be worth $3 million alone.
The return of these stolen artefacts is a significant step in preserving Italy’s cultural heritage and ensuring that these valuable pieces are returned to their rightful place. Italy will continue its efforts to recover stolen antiquities and prevent further looting and trafficking of cultural treasures.