Museum of works recovered from the illegal market reopens in Rome

The Museo dell'Arte Salvata (Museum of "Rescued" Art) reopened on Thursday (26) in Rome, Italy, bringing more than 100 works belonging to the 9th century BC to the 3rd AD that were recovered from contraband or repatriated from the United States and several European countries between 2022 and 2025. Admission is free until August 31, with an entrance fee to be paid after this period.

Highlights of the exhibition include richly decorated cinerary urns from the 3rd century BC, attributable to an illegal excavation in Città Della Pieve, in the province of Perugia, central Italy. There is also a bronze statue of an adult togatus, recovered by Operation Fenice in Belgium, which is similar in style to the works at the sanctuary of San Casciano dei Bagni in Tuscany.

The image of the beast-taming goddess Potnia Theron, taken from her Hellenistic sanctuary in Ardea, in Lazio, can also be seen by the public, as well as five marble theatrical masks from the 1st century AD, returned by an American collector and "which arrived in Italy just two days ago, among the 114 works recently recovered from the USA".

"The recovery of a work does not end with its return, but with the restoration of its meaning," says Edith Gabrielli, interim director of the National Roman Museum.

According to General Francesco Gargaro, head of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (Cctpc), the police entity that worked on the investigations and rescue of the collection, "in 50 years, the Cctpc has recovered 3 million works of art".

"But in our database there are still 1.3 million [works] to locate," Gargaro added.

After the exhibition to the public, the Museo dell'Arte Salvata intends to return the works to the public museums in their areas of origin.