By Crispian Balmer
ROME, April 29 (Reuters) – The United States has handed back 337 antiquities looted from Italy in one of the largest recent returns of stolen cultural property, officials said on Wednesday, highlighting deepened cooperation between Rome and Washington.
The artefacts, ranging from ancient Roman sculptures to Greek, Etruscan and Egyptian pieces, were presented at the headquarters of Italy’s Carabinieri cultural protection unit following an array of investigations, many centred on New York.
Italy has spent decades trying to curb a rampant trade in illicitly excavated antiquities, securing the repatriation of thousands of artefacts worth tens of millions of euros.
The campaign has gained momentum in recent years, aided by online databases, advances in technology and closer cooperation with U.S. authorities, particularly the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which found 221 objects of this latest haul.
“There’s no country in the world that has history and culture like Italy, and the United States will always do whatever it takes to help bring these wonderful artefacts back to your very special country,” the U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman J. Fertitta told reporters.
Among the most significant items unveiled on Wednesday were a marble head of Alexander the Great dating to the first century AD, which was stolen from a Rome museum in 1960.
Also recovered were a bronze sculpture looted from the Roman town of Herculaneum, two Egyptian basalt statues, Roman coins, jewellery, ceramics and architectural fragments spanning from the fifth century BC to the third century AD.
Italian authorities said many of the objects were taken from clandestine excavations or stolen from cultural institutions before being funnelled into the international art market.
“Protecting cultural heritage means defending memory, strengthening identity and passing on to future generations the value of culture as a universal public good,” said Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli.
Italy and the United States last year renewed a memorandum of understanding tightening U.S. import restrictions on Italian archaeological material, strengthening customs controls and expanding information-sharing.
The United States is one of the main markets for global antiquities, with an array of auction houses, private collectors and museums interested in acquiring rare artefacts.
“Sometimes they do not pay enough attention as to why these antiques are up for sale. That can be a very costly mistake,” said an official from the Culture Ministry, who was not authorised to talk to the press.
“We know what is missing and are getting much better at finding it,” she added, predicting more returns in the future.
The recovered objects will now be studied and, where possible, returned to their places of origin across Italy.
(Reporting by Crispian BalmerEditing by Keith Weir)
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