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In Rome, the Central Institute for Restoration is working to restore hundreds of looted artworks, recently returned by the United States, to their original appearance. This meticulous work reveals the extent of art trafficking and Italy’s commitment to its heritage.
In a laboratory in the heart of Rome, a team of restorers is tackling a task as delicate as it is fascinating: bringing long-lost artistic treasures back to life. Armed with scalpels, brushes and unwavering patience, these experts are working on some 600 looted artworks recently repatriated from the United States to their land of origin, Italy.
The Central Institute for Restoration in Rome, founded in 1939 and affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, temporarily houses this eclectic collection of amphoras, mosaics, paintings and statuettes. Each piece tells a story of spoliation and clandestine travel before finally finding its way back home.
Giuseppe Capparelli, an art historian at the Institute, explains that many works have undergone modifications to be “embellished to make them attractive for the private market.” These “mimetic restorations,” as Stefano Ferrari, a laboratory manager, calls them, aimed to “conceal the conservation problems of the works and the damage” accumulated over time.
Among the most remarkable pieces is a life-size bronze sculpture of a Hellenistic prince, dating from the 1st century. This statue, although deprived of its arms and feet, remains imposing with its toga-clad man gazing at the horizon. Its history is emblematic of the tortuous journey of these works: Stolen in the 1970s during clandestine excavations in southern Italy, it was found in New Jersey along with 144 other pieces, thanks to collaboration between Italian carabinieri and American authorities.
For Giuseppe Capparelli, this is a “significant case,” given the rarity of Hellenistic bronzes that have survived through the centuries. Initial observations suggest that the statue has been repainted, which will require meticulous cleaning work. Francesca Angelo, a restorer, specifies that this first phase, lasting about a month, will allow them to “identify the original materials and authentic parts.”
This massive repatriation of works, covering a period from the 9th century BC to the 2nd century AD, and estimated at about 60 million euros, illustrates the effectiveness of Italian-American collaboration in the fight against art and cultural property trafficking. Some pieces belong to public heritage and were stolen from churches, while others, like a series of paintings, come from private residences.
Italy is particularly proactive in searching for its dispersed heritage. In 2023, the carabinieri command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC) managed to repatriate no less than 105,474 looted works, a figure that testifies to the scale of the phenomenon and the determination of Italian authorities.
The horizon is also looking brighter for other national treasures. The Athlete of Fano, a famous bronze statue displayed at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, may soon return to Italian soil. Discovered in 1964 off the coast of Fano in the Adriatic Sea, this 4th century BC statue representing a life-size nude athlete has known multiple owners before landing at the Getty Foundation. The recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights, designating Italy as the legitimate owner of the work, paves the way for its return.
However, not all battles have been won yet. Italy has notably addressed several requests to the Louvre Museum regarding the restitution of seven archaeological objects allegedly looted before their acquisition and exhibition in the Parisian museum. Although the president of the Louvre has promised to study the request, no firm commitment to restitution has been announced to date.
The work of the restorers at the Central Institute for Restoration in Rome is thus part of a broader context of combating art trafficking and restituting cultural heritage. Each work restored and returned to its original state represents not only an artistic victory but also a step further towards recognizing nations’ right to preserve and recover their cultural heritage.
As Roman experts continue their meticulous work, brush after brush, scalpel after scalpel, a whole section of art history comes back to life under their expert hands. These rediscovered treasures, once restored, will finally be exhibited in Italian museums or returned to their rightful owners, thus testifying to the richness of Italian heritage and the importance of its preservation for future generations.
With AFP
