After nearly half a century, authorities have returned a stolen Roman marble head to Villa Albani Torlonia in Rome, Italy.
Thieves stole the Hydrophora head, which is part of a larger statue, in 1978, along with four other priceless objects. The Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Italy's Cultural Heritage recovered the piece and returned it to its former home, under the guidance of Brigadier General Vincenzo Molinese.
The rescue mission began in February 2015, when the squad received a tip from a German scholar who believed he had seen the precious item in an art publication, listed as part of a private collection in Zurich, Switzerland.
The Special Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Rome, a peripheral office of the Ministry of Culture, worked with the Carabinieri, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Rome and Swiss authorities to verify and locate the antiquity. The late collector's wife inherited the piece in good faith, according to authorities.
“Heritage conservation is the foundation that guides all our activities. The return of the Hydrophora head therefore acquires a symbolic value in relation to this commitment, which is also reflected in the restorations we present today”, said the president of the foundation, Alessandro Poma Murialdo.
Albani Torlonia is a large neoclassical villa built in the 18th century to house the collection of antiquities assembled by Cardinal Alessandro Albani. Over the years, the Torlonia family, who purchased the house and land in 1866, expanded and maintained it. It remains under the care of the Torlonia Foundation to this day.
The foundation's private collection consists of 620 museum-quality Greek and Roman sculptures that were displayed to the public for the first time in several decades in early 2020. It also has a special Torlonia Laboratory for the restoration of ancient marbles, which welcomes collaboration, research and education initiatives with partner universities and institutions.
The Italian Carabinieri artistic squad was founded in 1969, becoming the first specialized police force of its kind in the world. It has four departments dedicated to archaeology, antiquarianism, forgeries and contemporary art.