US Returns $65 Million Worth of Stolen Italian Artifacts in Joint Effort With Italy.

By Caroline Ameh

Italy, Tuesday celebrated the return of approximately 600 stolen antiquities from the United States today, marking a significant victory in the ongoing battle against art trafficking. The repatriated artifacts, which include ancient bronze statues, gold coins, mosaics, and manuscripts valued at €60 million ($65 million), were looted from Italian territory and sold to various US museums, galleries, and collectors.

US Ambassador Jack Markell, accompanied by Matthew Bogdanos, the head of the antiquities trafficking unit of the New York District Attorney’s Office, and members of the US Homeland Security Investigations department, joined Italian officials from the culture ministry and carabinieri art squad for the presentation ceremony.

The return of these artifacts represents the culmination of Italy’s relentless efforts to recover treasures stolen by tomb raiders, locally known as “tombaroli.” These stolen goods were often laundered through antiquities dealers who manipulated provenance records to facilitate their resale to unsuspecting buyers, auction houses, and museums.

Ambassador Markell reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to returning stolen cultural artifacts to their rightful place, underscoring the importance of preserving Italy’s rich cultural and artistic heritage. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to combat art trafficking, citing concerns about potential threats in Ukraine.

Notably absent from the repatriation was the renowned “Victorious Youth” ancient Greek bronze statue, which has been the subject of a protracted legal dispute between Italy and the Getty Museum in California. Bogdanos and Homeland Security officials declined to comment on the status of the statue, citing an ongoing investigation.

Among the notable artifacts returned is a fourth-century Naxos silver coin depicting the god of wine, Dionysius, which was stolen from an illicit excavation site in Sicily before 2013 and smuggled to the United Kingdom. The coin, valued at $500,000, was recovered in New York last year as part of an investigation into a British coin dealer.

Other returned items include a life-sized bronze figure, bronze heads, Etruscan vases, and oil paintings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, all of which were stolen from Italian museums, religious institutions, and private residences.

Bogdanos, who previously collaborated with the Italian carabinieri art squad in recovering Iraq’s stolen antiquities following the US invasion, emphasized the global nature of art looting. He stressed the importance of minimizing looting activities, increasing the risks for traffickers, and securing convictions and appropriate sentences for offenders.