Castel Sant'Angelo to host exhibit on art, archaeology theft

Important artifacts, some thousands of years old, that have been recovered by police after thefts will be on display at Rome's Castel Sant'Angelo.

The exhibition includes treasures stolen and then trafficked around the world before being recovered by police forces, organizers say.

Castel Sant'Angelo to host exhibit on art, archaeology theft — **A golden crown of oak leaves in gold [Credit: National Archaeological Museum of Taranto]**

Exhibits range from a sixth century BC marble bust, the Kouros Apollino Dilani, to a second century AD sarcophagus recovered after an unscrupulous collector commissioned its theft.

"These masterpieces are often objects of desire for collectors of art," who sometimes are not concerned with legal ownership of antiquities, says Daniela Porro, superintendent of Rome's museums.

Besides the archaeological pieces, the exhibition includes documents related to the efforts that authorities have made to recover missing and stolen works.

Masterpieces of Archaeology: Recovery, Findings, Comparisons will show from May 20 to November 5.

Source: ANSA [April 18, 2013]

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