The Government of Italy returned 101 archaeological pieces to Mexico, during a ceremony headed by the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, María Teresa Mercado, who went to Rome with the representation of Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and authorities from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
The event took place at the Mexican Embassy in the Italian capital, with the presence of our country’s ambassador to that nation, Carlos García; the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Giorgio Silli, and the general commander of the Carabinieri Arm for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Italy, Francesco Gargaro.
In his message, Mercado Pérez highlighted the symbolic value of the ceremony, since it reflects the excellent state of the Mexico-Italy bilateral relationship; Furthermore, he expressed the gratitude of the Government of Mexico to the Italian authorities for the significant and numerous restitution of pieces.
Giorgio Silli expressed his approval for the cooperation in the matter and highlighted his country’s conviction about the integrality of this heritage in the identity of nations like Italy and Mexico, cultural powers with a rich shared history.
He added that bilateral collaboration also includes the training of specialized cadres in the Mexican National Guard, based on the model of the Carabineros Weapon, to act against the plundering and trafficking of heritage assets.
Through a virtual link, the general director of INAH, Diego Prieto Hernández, offered details about the set of 101 archaeological pieces and reported that they were seized in Rome, Perugia, Udine, Ancona, and Cosenza.
The majority are anthropomorphic figures, which shows the enormous value that our ancestors placed on the human body, although there are also decorative elements and everyday objects.
They come from various regions of Mesoamerica and their temporalities cover a horizon that starts from the year 900 BC and reaches the closest moments to the Spanish occupation of the current Mexican territory, in the 16th century,” explained the anthropologist.
Since 2018, thanks to bilateral cooperation, Mexico has achieved the restitution of almost 800 archaeological pieces confiscated by Italian security forces.
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