US repatriates $80 million in stolen Italian artifacts

In the offices of the Central Institute for Restoration, which is situated in a former women's prison in central Rome, around 600 works of art were showcased on Tuesday morning. The collection resembled a museum exhibition of Italian art rather than a crime scene.

The artworks on display included a variety of pieces, such as life-sized bronze statues, tiny Roman coins, oil paintings, and mosaic flooring. These items date back from the 9th century BC to the 2nd century AD. They were all part of the art stolen and trafficked over a year, which was confiscated by Col. Matthew Bogdanos' team in Manhattan and returned to Italy.

The trafficked works, pillaged from the Italian regions of Lazio, Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily, were sequestered in New York and New Jersey last year.

Over 600 works of art were put on display in the Central Institute for Restoration’s offices, from life-size bronze statues to tiny Roman coins.

Over 600 works of art were put on display in the Central Institute for Restoration’s offices, from life-size bronze statues to tiny Roman coins.

Emanuele Antonio Minerva/Ministero della Cultura

The returned works, along with 60 items brought back last year, have a total value of over $80 million (approximately €73.6 million). However, according to Bogdanos, this is just a small portion of the vast amount of artwork still kept in private warehouses and displayed in museums across the United States. Bogdanos shared this information with CNN during a media presentation on Tuesday.

Bogdanos mentioned that the $80 million worth of items does not include an additional 100 items recently confiscated by his team in the US.

The seizure and return of stolen artifacts is a challenging task because authorities often do not know what they are searching for, as stated by Gen. D. Francesco Gargaro, commander of the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

According to him, when artifacts are taken from hidden locations, they are usually not documented. This means that along with the objects themselves, their historical significance is also lost, depriving archaeologists of important information. Instead of starting from the artifacts, investigators have to trace paperwork and ownership claims, as well as conduct technical tests to verify the true origins of a piece.

Many of the items recently brought back to Italy were found in secret digs or taken from churches, museums, and private collections, according to Gargaro.

Displayed on Tuesday were a cuirass and two bronze heads from the 4th-3rd century BC that had been seized from a gallery owner in New York.

There was also an Umbrian bronze statue depicting a warrior stolen from an Italian museum in 1962 that was found in a well-known American museum.

Italy’s Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection unit uses artificial intelligence to search for stolen cultural assets.

Italy’s Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection unit uses artificial intelligence to search for stolen cultural assets.

Emanuele Antonio Minerva/Ministero della Cultura

A mosaic floor depicting the myth of Orpheus enchanting wild animals with the sound of the lyre from the mid-3rd to mid-4th century AD was found after being stolen from a clandestine excavation in Sicily in the early 1990s. It was later confiscated from the private collection of a well-known New York collector.

Italy’s Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection unit has introduced a new program called “Stolen Works Of Art Detection System” (SWOADS) that uses artificial intelligence to search for stolen cultural assets. This system scans the web and social media for images in order to locate stolen items.

Italy's culture ministry undersecretary Gianmarco Mazzi announced on Tuesday that the return of cultural assets to Italy is a significant achievement. These assets are not only numerous but also hold great historical and artistic value.

These works of art are not just valuable, they also symbolize the rich history, culture, and national identity of Italy.

In 2023 alone, 105,474 pieces of art worth more than €264 million (or $287 million) were found and confiscated worldwide thanks to the artificial intelligence project, according to Gargaro.

Editor's P/S:

The article highlights the significant efforts made by authorities to combat art theft and trafficking, successfully recovering numerous stolen artworks and returning them to Italy. The display of these recovered works at the Central Institute for Restoration showcases the extent of the illicit art trade and the determination of law enforcement agencies to protect cultural heritage.

The collaboration between the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection unit and the Stolen Works Of Art Detection System (SWOADS) demonstrates the innovative use of technology in the fight against art crime. SWOADS' ability to scan the web and social media for images of stolen items provides a powerful tool for investigators to track down and recover lost artifacts. This collaboration underscores the importance of international cooperation and the use of advanced technology in safeguarding cultural treasures.