Rome: at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia the exhibition “Greek myths for Daunian princes”
On November 21th, at Rome, National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, in the presence of the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, the exhibition “Greek myths for Daunian princes”, which celebrates the restitution to Italy of 25 archaeological finds, including a significant group of Apulian and Attic red-figure vases, recovered as part of a successful cultural diplomacy operation conducted with the Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Command and until now preserved in the collections of classical antiquities of the Altes Museum in Berlin.
Speakers included: the director of the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, Luana Toniolo; the General Director of Museums and curator of the exhibition, Massimo Osanna; the Head of the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and curator of the exhibition, Luigi La Rocca; the deputy prosecutor at the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office, Giovanni Conzo; the Commander of the Carabinieri Tpc, Gen. D. Francesco Gargaro; the Head of the Department for the Promotion of Cultural Heritage, Alfonsina Russo; the German Ambassador to Italy, Hans-Dieter Lucas.
The exhibition project, curated by Luigi La Rocca, Massimo Osanna e Luana Toniolo, was born within the framework of the Cultural Cooperation Agreement signed last June 13 in Berlin between the Italian and German Ministries of Culture, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) and the Altes Museum in Berlin.
Thanks to this understanding, reached following an important work by the Public Prosecutor's Offices of Rome and Foggia and the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, as well as the offices of the Ministry of Culture, an important group of vases, coming from northern Puglia, an area inhabited by the ancient population of the Dauni, has definitively returned to Italy.
By virtue of their Daunia origin, the materials will then return to Puglia and will be permanently assigned to the institution to be established. Foggia Museum at Palazzo Filiasi, following the restoration and functional adaptation works currently underway and aimed at creating a museum dedicated specifically to activities to combat the phenomenon of clandestine excavation and the illicit export of archaeological goods.
Among the objects on display is a group of extraordinary large and medium-sized red-figure vases – well attributable for stylistic characteristics to some of the most famous and prolific ceramists, active in the second half of the 4th century BC, such as the Darius Painter and the Painter of the Underworld -, and two attic vases, that is, produced in the Athens region, and a Lucanian also belonging to the repatriation from Berlin.
Luxury items produced primarily to be placed in tombs and decorated with mythological scenes. Thanks to an immersive and accessible installation, the works tell their story and that of the gods and heroes depicted in them.
The core of the finds appeared in the list of goods stolen by the well-known art trafficker Giacomo Medici, convicted in 2009 for illicit trafficking of cultural goods. According to investigations, it was first acquired by a Swiss family (Cramer collection) and then sold to the Altes Museum by the antiques dealer Christopher Leon, to 3 million marks in 1984.
The works will be exhibited at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia until March 16 2025.
On this occasion and by virtue of virtuous dialogue between Italy and Germany, a long-term loan program of works has been launched with the Berlin museum itself, thanks to the collaboration of the Archaeological parks of Paestum and Velia and the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
The statements:
"This project is the emblematic result of a successful cultural operation, embodied by the agreement concluded with the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. Thanks to this agreement, the result of significant work by the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Carabinieri of the Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and, of course, the offices of the Ministry of Culture, an important group of Apulian and Attic red-figure vases, originating from the area of northern Puglia, historically inhabited by the ancient Dauni, is returning to Italy. Given their provenance, after the exhibition at Villa Giulia and the subsequent installation at the Swabian Castle in Bari, these materials will be definitively destined for the newly established Museum of Foggia, which will be dedicated precisely to the activities of combating the illicit export of archaeological goods. A wide-ranging project, therefore, which speaks of cultural diplomacy, protection of heritage, public enjoyment and promotion of legality, in a perspective of networking and collaboration between institutions", says the General Director of Museums, Massimo Osanna.
"Thanks to the cultural diplomacy activity of the Ministry of Culture, it was possible to sign this important Cooperation Agreement with the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which allowed the return to Italy of 25 precious archaeological finds, previously exhibited at the Altes Museum in Berlin. The precious artefacts of Apulian and Attic production, including large red-figure craters, decorated plates, a kylix, skyphoi, amphorae and a hydria, can now be admired in the evocative setting of the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia to be returned to the community and finally exhibited in Puglia, the place from which they were clandestinely excavated and subsequently exported. A new success for the Italian institutions responsible for protecting cultural heritage and combating illicit trafficking of our archaeological assets", comments the Head of the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Luigi La Rocca.
"The cultural heritage of a nation represents its historical identity to be protected and preserved, as an indelible testimony of its roots and traditions. When works of art are removed from their original context, not only is the law protecting the country of origin violated, but the trace of the cultural identity of a people is erased. This is why today, with deep satisfaction, with the inauguration at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia of the exhibition "GREEK MYTHS FOR DAUNIAN PRINCIPLES", another important recovery of extraordinary archaeological finds is celebrated, consisting of a set of 21 Apulian vases from the 70th century BC of inestimable value, the result of clandestine excavations carried out in Puglia in the 80s and XNUMXs. This repatriation demonstrates an effective synergic action implemented between the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of Culture, the judicial authorities of Rome and Foggia and the museum institution of Berlin. Therefore, the agreement signed between the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Altes Museum in Berlin constitutes a true model of cooperation for all future cultural diplomacy activities between the Italian State and other nations in the work of recovering and returning art assets stolen from their territories and communities of origin", underlines the Commander of the Carabinieri Tpc, Gen. D. Francesco Gargaro.
"The Villa Giulia Museum, which was already the custodian of the famous Euphronios Krater from 2009 to 2015, a symbol of the success of our country's cultural diplomacy policies, represents the ideal place to celebrate the return of this significant group of archaeological finds, until now conserved at the Altes Museum. These extraordinary vases, with their fascinating mythological narratives, will now be the protagonists, before returning permanently to Puglia, of two important exhibitions that will enhance their historical and cultural value. On this occasion and thanks to the fruitful dialogue between Italy and Germany, a long-term loan program of works has also been launched with the Berlin museum itself, thanks to the collaboration of the Archaeological Parks of Paestum and Velia and the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. An initiative that not only confirms the quality of Italy's commitment to the protection of cultural heritage, but that gives life to a broad program of integrated enhancement and fruition", adds the Head of the Department for the enhancement of cultural heritage, Alfonsina Russo.
For the German Ambassador to Italy, Hans-Dieter Lucas: "The restitution of these artefacts is in line with the principled position of the Berlin Museums towards antiquities and represents another fine example of the already exemplary cooperation between Germany and Italy in the area of protection and restitution of cultural property. We have a common interest in protecting cultural property with identity value from looting, illegal excavations, theft and smuggling. Because the theft and smuggling of works of art and cultural property not only create injustice and material damage, which are already serious in themselves, they also deprive us of the opportunity to learn more about the tradition, owners and creators of these finds."
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