ANTIQUARIUM OF POMPEII, AN EXHIBITION ABOUT THE STOLEN ARTIFACTS

Stones, mosaics, frescoes, amphoras, artifacts of all kinds have been stolen over the years from Pompeii, with the intent to bring home a souvenir, to be then hit by the Pompeian curse.

For at least thirty years anonymous parcels have been arriving at the Superintendence accompanied by letters of apology in which the disasters that struck the person responsible for the theft and his family are listed. There are those who have lost their jobs, who have had a car accident or have seen some relatives die. This is where the "black legend" of Pompeii begins. An anonymous writes: "After much reflection on the gesture made, I decided to return the stolen piece: from the moment of the entry of the archaeological fragments into my home for the members of my family the trouble began". A young Englishman who stole a fragment of plaster tells, instead, that he had lost his parents in a plane crash, had lost his job and had been left by his wife.

The objects returned to the offices of the Superintendence are now part of an exhibition with the singular title: "The body of the crime", with the hope that the curse of Pompeii will continue to discourage further theft attempts and will help to understand the inestimable value of a cultural heritage unique in the world.