On April 6, 2017, the Rome International School hosted the final talk in a lecture series with Colonello Alberto Deregibus, Vice-Comandante del Comando dei Carabinieri per la Tutela Patrimonio Culturale, entitled: Il recupero delle opere d'arte trafugate e l'attività del Comando dei Carabinieri.
The event concluded a series of conferences held in light of archaeological exhibit Rescuing our past to build our future, on display at the international school owned by LUISS from March 9 until April 30, 2017.
The third talk, held on March 30, focused on the sacking of ancient funerary artifacts, with Professor Alessandro Naso from the University of Naples Federico II. Professor Naso is professor of Etruscology and Italian Antiquities at the University of Napoles Federico II and director of the Institute of Studies on Ancient Mediterranean by the National Research Council. Of the archaeological finds stolen and transported, illegally, outside of Italy or even kept illegally in Italy in private collections, those coming from funerary contexts are a large majority. Why? Goods were deposited carefully in graves so that they would not break and could preserve their function as precious containers for as long as possible.
The second talk, held on March 22 took on sacking of artifacts, particularly archaeological artifacts. The practice has existed for over three centuries, and has only increased with advancement in machinery and technology. For this reason it is important to speak about the work of the Carabinieri del Comando Tutela Patrimonio Culturale and make global citizens more aware that the historic meaning and value of an artifact is immeasurable, often irreplaceable, and thus more important than any economic value that can be placed upon it.
The first event in the series welcomed Paolo Matthiae who discovered Ebla in Syria while overseeing 47 archaeological digs between 1964 and 2010. He was awarded Knight of the Grand Cross by the President of the Italian Republic in 1995. He is a member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, a Professor Emeritus at La Sapienza University in Rome and is a member of prestigious international archaeological organizations.
How much at risk is the archaeological heritage of the Middle East? What is being done and what can the civilized world do to stop barbaric acts? According to Professor Matthiae, Italy will always be on the front line to fight against the destruction of the historical heritage of countries like Syria and Iraq.
Complete list of events
- March 16, 2017 - Paolo Matthiae, Archeologia in Medio Oriente nei territori di crisi
- March 22, 2017 - Vincenzo D'Ercole, Leggere i segni: dal recupero dei reperti alla ricostruzione della storia
- March 30, 2017 - Alessandro Naso, Saccheggiatori di antichi sepolchri: perché?
- April 6, 2017 - Alberto Deregibus, Recupero delle Opere d'Arte trafugate e l'attività del Comando dei Carabinieri TPC
Rescuing our past to build our future is organized by the Rome International School in collaboration with MiBACT and Comando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale. Admission to the exhibit is free of charge. Upon reservation, visitors are welcome Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., and on weekends from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
To make reservations, contact office@romeinternationalschool.it or 06 844 82 650/651.