Italian
Returned stolen archaeological artifacts: a ceremony at the Embassy celebrates the cooperation between Italy and Switzerland
BERN — On June 19, 2025, the Italian Embassy in Bern hosted a ceremony of high cultural and symbolic value: the return to the Italian State of 48 archaeological artifacts confiscated in Switzerland, thanks to a well-established collaboration between Italian and Swiss authorities. The official recipient of the artifacts was Major General Francesco Gargaro, Commander of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC), welcomed by Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado.
The artifacts, coming from criminal proceedings or from citizens’ spontaneous restitutions, include objects in ceramic, bronze, ancient coins, frescoes, and an 18th-century painting. Among the most significant pieces: a bell-shaped fibula from the 7th century B.C., a Pompeiian fresco with doves, an Etruscan plate, a gold ring with mythological depictions, along with a very rare coin of Louis the Pious and nine Venetian gold ducats.
The event was attended by important representatives of Swiss institutions, including Carine Bachmann (Federal Office of Culture), Laura Antonelli Müdespacher (Fedpol), and Manfred Strick (Interpol/Europol), highlighting the value of cultural diplomacy and police cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods.
The analysis carried out by technicians from the Italian Ministry of Culture confirmed the clandestine origin of the excavations from which the artifacts come, highlighting the irreparable loss of fundamental scientific data for their historical contextualization. The cataloging and photographic comparison work has been crucial for the recovery.
Italy and Switzerland are thus strengthening a concrete and virtuous alliance for the protection of cultural heritage, restoring access to their own history to communities.
