In front of the Colosseum, a famous landmark in Rome, Italy. The photo is not directly related to the article. [Image source = Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Recently, following a Canadian woman who returned stolen artifacts from the Pompeii ruins saying "bad luck follows," an American woman has now returned an ancient marble fragment stolen from a museum during her trip to Rome, Italy, expressing remorse.
On the 27th (local time), British media including the BBC reported that an ancient marble fragment stolen around 2017 recently arrived at the National Roman Museum by parcel.
The parcel, sent from Atlanta, USA, contained a marble fragment wrapped in paper along with a letter. The enclosed letter expressed remorse, stating, "Not only did I steal this artifact, but I also engraved writing on it, which I deeply regret. As an adult, I made a huge mistake and acted thoughtlessly. I tried to erase the graffiti but failed."
The marble fragment was inscribed with "To Sam ♡ Jess Rome 2017." It is presumed that a woman named Jess stole the marble fragment to gift it to her boyfriend but was tormented by guilt and decided to return it.
Stefan Berger, director of the National Roman Museum, said, "The marble came from a quarry in Asia Minor. You can see the writing on the stone, and it appears that the woman tried several times to erase it but failed."
He added, "In fact, this stone has almost no value. However, the person who stole it was probably a young woman who realized her wrongdoing and acted on it. The important thing is that she returned the artifact three years after stealing it. The enclosed letter was quite moving."
He also said, "Who knows, but perhaps Jess heard about that Canadian woman," and added, "With many people passing away due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, it seems people's consciences have been stirred, leading them to reflect on their lives."
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii in Italy, which had been closed due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, reopened on the 26th (local time) after two months, allowing domestic tourists to visit. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The 'Canadian woman' mentioned by the museum director appears to be Nicole, who last month returned artifacts stolen from the Pompeii ruins in southern Italy, saying "misfortune follows." On the 11th of last month (local time), a story was reported internationally about a Canadian tourist who returned artifacts stolen 15 years ago.
The tourist, who identified herself as Nicole, enclosed two mosaic tiles, fragments of an amphora?a Roman-era narrow-necked jar with two handles?and a piece of pottery along with a letter.
She confessed that she stole these artifacts during her visit to Pompeii in 2005, saying, "I wanted to have a piece of history that no one else could possess." However, after stealing the artifacts, she experienced unexplained misfortunes.
She atoned, saying, "I am now 36 years old, have had breast cancer twice, and am facing financial difficulties. I do not want this curse to continue to my family and children. I pray for God's forgiveness."
Meanwhile, Pompeii was discovered during 16th-century aqueduct construction, leading to full-scale excavation work, and has become one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations. Although regulations prohibit tourists from touching artifacts, many have secretly stolen artifacts over the decades, causing headaches. However, with repeated late regrets and returns, a museum dedicated to displaying these returned items has even been established.
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