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.
