Hundreds of Stolen Artworks Repatriated to Italy From US

Some 600 works of art and artefacts stolen from Italy and found in the United States were put on display in Rome on Tuesday, May 28, after they were repatriated, the Italian Ministry of Culture said.

The ministry said a collaboration between police, the New York District Attorney’s Office, and the US Homeland Security Investigations had allowed the works to be located, obtained, and repatriated.

The works span from the 9th century BC to the 2nd century AD and are thought to have been taken in clandestine excavations, grave robbing, and thefts across Italy.

They include paintings, coins, sculptures, and manuscripts, and come from the regions of Lazio, Campania, Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily.

“Today is a beautiful day for the nation’s cultural heritage due to the return home of hundreds of works of art stolen and illicitly exported abroad,” Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said.

“Bringing these assets back to Italy will also make it possible to heal many wounds that have opened over the years in the territories where they were stolen, depriving the communities of important pieces of their identity,” he added. Credit: Ministero Della Cultura via Storyful