266 archaeological finds return to Italy from the USA

ROME – The Cultural Heritage Protection Command of the Cultural Heritage Protection Command returned to Italy 266 archaeological finds from the United States of valuable value, whose value on the world cultural heritage market is approximately estimated at several tens of millions of euros. The heritage dates back to a time period extending from the Villanovan era (9th/8th century BC), to the Etruscan civilization (7th/4th century BC), to Magna Graecia (5th/3rd century BC) until the Roman era. Imperial era (1st-2nd century AD), and it arrived abroad in the last decades of the last century to be sold by international smugglers. This result was obtained after extensive investigations coordinated by the Italian judiciary and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DAO – New York State Attorney’s Office), with the New York Assistant Attorney General, Col. Matthew Bogdanos and colleagues from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), “an ineffective collaboration Incomparable in the world – he reads a note – also thanks to the ongoing synergy between the Carabinieri dell’Arte and the Dicastery of Culture, led by Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano”. The handover ceremony took place in New York, at the Attorney General’s Office, with Attorney General Alvin L. Bragg, Italian Vice Consul in New York, Cesare Beller, Commander of the Carabinieri, Brigadier General Vincenzo Molinesi, Dow. Deputy Manhattan District Attorney Colonel Matthew Bogdanos; and Special Agent in Charge of HSI Evan J. Of the recovered works, 70 (comprising a total of 145 objects) are part of the bankruptcy proceedings against English citizen Robin Sims, thanks to investigations conducted by the TPC leadership, coordinated by the Prosecutor of the Court of Rome, aimed at combating international trafficking in cultural goods. The activities then led to an out-of-court procedure and a civil suit, conducted in close cooperation with the Ministry of Culture through the State Prosecutor, with the aim of returning the assets to the patrimony unavailable to the Italian state. Also recovered were 65 artifacts already in the collection at the “Menell Collection Museum” in Houston (USA), which the owner automatically returned to the Ministry of Culture, after it was confirmed by the Carabinieri TPC that they came from secret excavations in archaeological sites in the region Italian illegal export. Photo of the press office – the General Command of the Police. col4/vbo/com 11-Aug-23 10:06