Italy reclaims stolen ancient artifacts from the US, marking a significant repatriation victory
Italy has repatriated 266 ancient artefacts, including works from the Etruscan civilization and Imperial Rome, worth tens of millions of euros from the United States. The items were brought and sold during the late 1990s by an international network of artefact smugglers. The repatriation was a result of cooperation between Italian and U.S. judicial authorities, with some pieces recovered through bankruptcy proceedings against an antiquities dealer. The Menil Collection museum in Houston claimed that it had declined the artefacts, which were offered as a gift, and they were never part of their collection.