266 ancient artifacts worth tens of millions of euros have been returned to Italy from the United States, where they were sold by an international network of smugglers.
The pieces, some dating back to the ninth century, include artifacts from the Etruscan civilization, Greater Greece and Ancient Rome. The Italian security agency Carabinieri announced that the artifacts were returned thanks to the cooperation of Italian and American authorities. Photographs released by the Italian Ministry of Culture show a large number of artifacts, including painted pottery, sculptures and coins. It was announced that 65 of the artifacts, more than half of which were found and confiscated by a British antiques dealer, were part of the “Menil” collection in the museum in Houston, USA, after the police determined that they were excavated in archaeological sites and then illegally exported, and decided to return them to Italy.