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Italy’s art police recover works stolen from quake-hit churches

An Italian police unit specializing in protecting the country's cultural heritage on Tuesday presented 37 artworks it had recovered, some of which had been stolen from churches in the aftermath of deadly earthquakes in central Italy.

Published: 14 March 2018 14:06 CET

Italy's art police recover works stolen from quake-hit churches

Two of the recovered paintings, one stolen from L'Aquila and one stolen from Spoleto, after earthquakes damaged churches in each town. Photo: Carabinieri

The artworks dated back to between the 16th and 20th centuries, and had been taken in 16 separate robberies over the past two decades.

The pieces have “inestimable historic, artistic, and religious value”, the Art Squad, as the police unit is known, said in a statement.

READ ALSO: How Italy's Art Squad is racing to save quake-damaged masterpieces

Among the most important pieces recovered were five altarpieces from two churches in L'Aquila, which were closed due to damage in a deadly 2009 earthquake from which the city is still recovering.

Nicola Candido, one of the officers involved in the operation, told press “we are particularly proud of the recovery of the altarpieces taken from the earthquake-hit zone”.

You can see some of the rescued pieces in the video below.

L'Aquila's mayor thanked the police for the recovery, and said he hoped the artwork would be returned to the city.

Police found the art in villas along the Amalfi Coast, and have charged three people over the thefts.

The Carabinieri's Art Squad, dubbed the “blue helmets”, was founded in 1969 to combat art and antiquities crimes, and helps train art police in other countries.

In the aftermath of deadly quakes in the central regions of Italy, the officers raced to rescue and restore damaged artworks from churches and other buildings damaged by the tremors.

READ ALSO: Built by Caligula and smuggled to the US, a long-lost Roman mosaic finally returns to Italy

Updated: What is Italy's Palio di Siena 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.

Are you tuning in to the Palio di Siena? Let us know what you think about it in the comments below.

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