US has returned 600 antiquities to Italy, valued collectively at $65 million, that were looted years ago and kept among museums, galleries, and private collections. The artifacts includes ancient gold coins, mosaics, manuscripts, and bronze statues, all recovered through an extensive criminal investigation.
The haul, valued at approximately 60 million euros ($65 million), includes statues, gold coins, and mosaics that had been looted and sold to collectors and galleries.
Jack Markell, the US ambassador to Italy, stated that the latest return signifies respect for Italy’s heritage, adding: “We know that safeguarding this history requires care and vigilance, and this is why we do what we do.”
One of the most prized items displayed at the handover was a silver coin from the fourth century, stolen from an illegal excavation site on the southern Italian island of Sicily and smuggled to the United Kingdom. It was spotted for sale in New York last year for $500,000.
Matthew Bogdanos, head of the antiquities trafficking unit of the New York district attorney’s office, has established a working relationship with the Italian police art squad, which began during their efforts to recover pieces stolen in the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
