5,361 antiquities enough to fill a museum of their own have been returned to Italy from Switzerland. The objects are the result of years of tomb robbing, smuggling and illicit sales, master-minded by dealer Gianfranco Becchina from his headquarters in Basle, After a two-year legal battle Swiss courts have recognized the right of Italy to have the antiquities returned to the Italian state.
The objects, for a total estimated value of 50 million, range from small terracottas to 15 metres of fresco torn from the walls of a villa in Pompeii. They are now deposited in the Museum of the Terme di Diocleziano (Diocletian's Baths) near Rome's Termini station.
The coup, called Operation Theseus after the mythical Greek hero who emerged successfully from the Labyrinth, is the result of a brilliant investigation campaign carried out by the crack department of the carabiniere police force dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage.
It is estimated, however, that at least as many again of Italy's archaeological treasures have passed through Mr. Becchina's hands and that many pieces are still hidden in secret hiding places or have passed into the hands of foreign museums or private collectors.
Italy's cultural minister, Mr. Dario Franceschini, expressed great satisfaction at the results obtained by Operation Theseus and aired the possibility of creating a special “Museum of Stolen Art” for the public.
Info: www.beniculturali.it
