- Nearly 800 cultural artifacts have been repatriated from Italy to Mexico in recent years
The Mexican government held an event at the National Museum of Anthropology to recognize the results of the joint work done to return archaeological artifacts by the Government of Mexico, through the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and the Government of Italy. The meeting brought together Secretary of Foreign Affairs Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, and INAH Director General Diego Prieto Hernández.
The collaboration between both countries, working with Italy's special Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, has enabled the recovery of nearly 800 archaeological, historical, and ethnographic pieces that were found in Italy from 2019 to present. This represents an average of 100 items per year.
Secretary De la Fuente thanked Italy for being an ally and leader in protecting cultural patrimony and fighting against the illegal trafficking in cultural goods. Mexico will continue strengthening the international legal framework through initiatives and projects that make recovery more efficient, he said.
He noted that the multilateral arena also provides an opportunity for raising awareness among other countries and governments and expanding the network of allies in this effort.
He said that both Mexico and Italy are winning the battle to recover cultural and historical patrimony because justice is on their side, based on the ethical principles and values that have become fundamental and non-negotiable for both countries.
"Each recovered piece has immense value, and that's what we must convey," he explained. "The numbers become very important when you can count them in thousands, but we must also communicate the value of each individual piece. They form part of this new culture and these new alliances that we can build and rebuild."
He stated that the restitution of artifacts benefits both countries – the nation that enables the return and the one that welcomes the pieces back to where they rightfully belong and should never have left.
Minister Tajani said that the looting of archaeological goods is not only a serious crime but a deep wound to a country's cultural identity. Italy's Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage has worked for 50 years to prevent destruction and counter the illicit trafficking of cultural goods. The unit also has an international commitment to return recovered items to their countries of origin.
"Cultural heritage forms an integral part of our identity that must be defended and protected, which is why our collaboration in this sector is exemplary and has achieved exceptional results," he said. "These artifacts were illegally exported to Italy, but they belong to Mexico's national patrimony and, as such, must be returned. Some examples are here among us today, back in their homeland so the Mexican public and tourists can admire them again."
INAH Director General Diego Prieto Hernández, representing Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza, emphasized that cultural patrimony represents a collection of goods, values, references, and meanings that constitute the memory, soul, and sense of life of peoples. This legacy is recognized as their own, hence their just claim to it.
He added that Mexico has legislated the protection of patrimony since its early days as an independent nation. The Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Zones was enacted in 1972. In the last two administrations, under the slogan "My patrimony is not for sale," a particularly favorable environment has been created for repatriation.
Between 2019 and 2024, more than 14,000 cultural goods returned to Mexican soil from different nations. During President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration alone, between October 2024 and this month, more than 2,000 items have returned.
The meeting between Mexico and Italy to address the protection of cultural heritage and the fight against the illicit trafficking of pieces was held against the backdrop of a representative sample of objects that have been repatriated to Mexico from Italy. These items are valuable both for their aesthetics and their symbolism for communities. The display features a dozen pieces from territories that are now the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Veracruz, shown in conjunction with textile pieces from indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples of contemporary Mexico in the Textile Hall on the second floor of the National Museum of Anthropology.
The meeting included the presence of National Guard Commander General Hernán Cortés Hernández and Museum of World Cultures Director Alejandra Gómez Colorado.
