Overview
- The FBI Art Crime Team transferred the gilded wooden urn to the Italian Republic in a formal repatriation ceremony in Rome.
- An antiques dealer in the U.S. Northeast voluntarily gave the urn to federal agents on February 11 so it could be returned.
- The investigation began in fall 2025, with FBI Boston working with the Art Crime Team, the FBI office in Rome, and the Italian Carabinieri.
- Authorities say the urn is one of 17 ecclesiastical items taken from the Church of San Michele Arcangelo di Cangiano between 2012 and 2022.
- The piece is protected under Italian law and listed in the Italian Dioceses’ inventory, underscoring its religious and cultural value to local worshippers.