The Carabinieri of the Monza Cultural Heritage Protection Unit (TPC) have returned over 200 archaeological artifacts to the Pandolfo di Capodiferro Tower in Sessa Aurunca (Caserta). The items, from the Pietro Fedele collection and previously stored at the Tower, had been looted by German troops during the Second World War.
The finds were identified by the Carabinieri of the TPC during checks on e-commerce platforms and sites specializing in the sale of works of art. In collaboration with the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape (SABAP) for the provinces of Caserta and Benevento and the Central Institute of Restoration, the Carabinieri reconstructed the history of the assets.
The Tower of Pandolfo di Capodiferro is a Lombard tower that was bombed and razed to the ground by German troops in 1943. At the time, the tower housed an archaeological museum, the Museum of Aurunca Civilization, founded by Pietro Fedele.
The museum housed numerous archaeological, numismatic and other finds, including the portrait of Giulia Gonzaga by Jacopo del Conte, ancient prints and a library of approximately 8000 volumes.
The spoils of war
In the autumn of 1943, German troops plundered the museum, carefully selecting the most valuable items and collecting them in numerous crates. Part of the material was later returned to Pietro Fedele's heirs through the State Archives of Rome Sant'Ivo and Castel Sant'Angelo.
Post-war research
At the end of the war, the dispersed assets were the subject of a specific investigation conducted by the then plenipotentiary minister Rodolfo Siviero, head of the Committee for restitutions. To date, further archaeological finds, coins, medals and various materials attributable to the activity of Pietro Fedele are missing.
The restituition
The return of the 200 artefacts by the Carabinieri TPC represents an important moment for the protection of the Italian cultural heritage. These assets, as stated in article 2 of the “Code of cultural and landscape heritage”, are testimonies having the value of civilization and their removal from the historical context and from their origins erases their cultural heritage.
The restitution ceremony
The finds will be returned to the Superintendent of SABAP for the provinces of Caserta and Benevento during an official ceremony that will be held on February 10th in the halls of the Ducal Castle of Sessa Aurunca in the presence of the local authorities.
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