MONUMENTAL CONCERN

“Throughout the centuries, the grand, open-air museum that is Italy has been an easy target for thieves. The peninsula is littered not only with Roman ruins but also Etruscan, Phoenician and Greek artifacts – not to mention the vestiges of countless pre-Roman peoples and even prehistoric settlements. Today, the plundering of Italy’s archaeological treasures has become a highly lucrative business involving a sophisticated network of tombaroli, ravagers of archaeological sites; expert fences in Italy, Switzerland and England; and knowing buyers in the United States, Japan, Australia and elsewhere.” – Washington Post