The task force, dubbed “cultural peacekeepers”, will be dispatched – when logistically possible – to assess the damage to globally-prized monuments or works in the wake of conflicts, earthquakes, floods or other disasters.
The main aim is to stop the looting and selling of heritage by militants to fund “terrorist activities”, UNESCO said.
The task force will “assess risk and quantify damage done to cultural heritage sites, develop action plans and urgent measures, provide technical supervision and training for local national staff,” the Italian ministry said in a statement.
It will also help transfer movable objects to safety “and strengthen the fight against looting and illegal trafficking of cultural property,” the ministry said.
Thirty police art detectives and 30 archaeologists, restorers and art historians “are already operational and ready to go where UNESCO sends them,” said Culture Minister Dario Franceschini.
Italy's art police have an international reputation for tracking down and recovering stolen works.
The hope, UNESCO director Irina Bokova said Tuesday, was that other countries would follow Rome's example and join the heritage fight.
The idea for an Italian, cultural version of the United Nations peacekeepers – known by their distinctive blue helmets – was voted in by the UN after the destruction of sites including in Syria's Palmyra by the Islamic State group.
IS seized control of Palmyra in May and has realized international fears by destroying some of the most prized sites in the UNESCO World Heritage listed ancient city.
The militants have carried out a sustained campaign of destruction against heritage sites in areas under their control in Syria and Iraq, including the important Iraqi sites of Hatra, Nimrud and Khorsabad, the ancient Assyrian capital.
Islamist militants are also accused of being behind attacks on 10 religious and historic monuments in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Timbuktu in Mali.
UN
Italy pits top sleuths against world’s heritage looters
Italy unveiled a 60-strong task force of art detectives and restorers on Tuesday, ready to protect the world's crisis-hit heritage sites for UNESCO in a cultural version of the UN's famous Blue Helmets.
CULTURE
Updated: What is Italy’s Palio di Siena and where can you watch it?
Italy's hotly-anticipated Palio di Siena horse race is back - but what exactly is it and where can you watch it?
The renowned Palio di Siena horse race returns on Saturday, August 17th, with jockeys racing it out in Tuscany’s medieval jewel, Siena.
With origins dating back to 1633, the Palio di Siena is Italy’s most famous historic horse race.
The event is a competition between the neighbourhoods of Siena, called contrade, with each contrada having its own coat of arms and patron saints. There are 17 contrade in Siena, but only 10 compete – this year’s competitors are; Chiocciola, Oca, Istrice, Selva, Lupa, Valdimontone, Onda, Nicchio, Leocorno and Civetta.
It occurs twice a year in Siena’s main square, Piazza del Campo. The first race took place this summer on July 2nd. Each Palio lasts a total of four days; three days of celebrations and the final day being the race itself.
The race consists of three laps of Piazza del Campo. The starting point (the mossa), is made up of two ropes in which the 10 participating horses and jockeys must wait in order. The horse, with or without a jockey, which completes the three laps first wins.
The prize is a large silk-painted canvas, known as the drappellone, which is designed and created every year by a different artist.
Over the centuries, the race has only been cancelled a handful of times, including for World War II and the Covid pandemic.
In recent years the Palio has been the subject of protest from animal rights groups who state that the horses suffer during the competition. Preliminary investigations into a defamation trial began at the start of June this year, after Walter Caporale, the national president of animal rights group Animalisti Italiani (Italian Animalists) was accused of defining the event’s organisers as “sadistic and uncivilised.” The next hearing is set for February 28th 2025.
The final race this year was supposed to take place on Friday, 16th August but it was cancelled due to heavy rain.
Watch the Palio di Siena live on television or via streaming on Italian channel LA7 from 4.45pm on Saturday.
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