(13 December, 2016) The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have returned a ‘Pagina Miniata’ from a 14th century manuscript and a 19th century Carelli painting during a ceremony held at the Italian Embassy in Washington D.C. Italian Ambassador to the United States, Armando Varricchio stated, “this ceremony marks another important step in a long collaboration between the United States government and the Italian government in the context of cultural promotion and the safeguarding of cultural heritage. It also underlines Italy’s continuous and constant effort in repatriating artistic treasures that are illegally spread out throughout the world. The repatriation of the 14th century ‘Pagina Miniata’ and the Carelli painting falls within the bilateral agreement between Italy and the United States, recently renewed for the third time, and made possible thanks to the collaboration of US authorities and the Cleveland and Sacramento Museums”. The illuminated manuscript, also know as ‘Codice D’ was created between 1335 and 1345. At an unknown date, a page with the initial letter L, representing Saint Lucy was removed. In 1952, the page was acquired, in good faith, by the Cleveland Museum of Art after being labelled erroneously. The missing page was found many years later by art historians in an on-line catalogue and the Carelli painting, smuggled from a private residence in Naples in 2001 was found in an auction house in Pennsylvania and sold to an art dealer in California. The Carabinieri have contacted Homeland Security Investigations, who along with their Italian counterparts, the US Customs and Border Protection, have successful repatriated the work to its legitimate owner. (Red)
