The Ambassador of Italy in the United States Marco Peronaci hosted last night in Villa Firenze the event “Custodians of Culture” to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Memorandum of Understanding between Italy and the USA on the imposition of restrictions on the importation of archaeological material from Italy, characterized by a ceremony of repatriation and a high-level debate on the protection of cultural heritage.
The anniversary celebration followed the signing in Rome, on December 5, 2025, of the renewal of the Memorandum by the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli and the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers. Concluded for the first time in 2000, the agreement became a pillar of international efforts to counter illicit traffic of cultural goods.
Opening the evening, Ambassador Peronaci stressed the broadest meaning of the agreement. “This year marks the 25th anniversary of this agreement between Italy and the United States, signed for the first time in 2000 and became a model in the last quarter of a century. It is an agreement that does not only concern the regulatory aspect, but concerns the values: It reiterates that cultural heritage is not a commodity, but a shared heritage that must be protected by illegal trafficking and exploitation.” Ambassador Peronaci also stressed that, thanks to bilateral cooperation between our countries, more than 5,000 finds have been recovered and returned to Italy.
Darren Beattie, Senior Bureau Official for Educational and Cultural Affairs of the American State Department, underlined: “Protecting the cultural heritage does not only mean preserving the finds; means safeguarding the identity, memory, traditions and foundations of civilization for future generations. For over a quarter of a century, our team at the Office for Educational and Cultural Affairs has collaborated with law enforcement and Italian counterparts to ensure that these unique treasures continue to inspire the world over the years to come. ”
Charles Wall, Deputy Director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Scott Schelble, Deputy Director of the Bureau’s International Operations Division, stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation with Italy on this issue. Later, General Antonio Petti, head of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, has intervened, which has emphasized the specialized competence of Italy in the matter of protection of the cultural heritage.
A ceremony followed for the return to Italy of confiscated works of art, some of which were exhibited in a small but significant exhibition set up last night in Villa Firenze. A tangible proof of what international cooperation in this area can enable us to achieve.
After the ceremony, Channah Norman, a lawyer specializing in art and museums, animated a conversation with Deborah Lehr, founder of the Antiquities Coalition and CEO of Meridian International Center and Chase F. Robinson, director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. The panel discussed issues such as transnational strategies to protect cultural heritage, investigative and legal approaches for cases concerning cultural heritage, research on the origin of artefacts in museums and the increasing role of technology in promoting transparency and responsibility in this area.
The evening ended with a visit to the exhibition of confiscated art, celebrating a quarter of a century of Italian-American cooperation and reaffirming the shared commitment of our two countries to safeguard cultural heritage as a common good.
The event also inaugurated “Villa Firenze Talks”, a new series hosted at the Italian Ambassador’s Residence to bring together politicians, experts, academics and industry leaders to strengthen transatlantic dialogue and cooperation on global challenges, geopolitics and safety to innovation, emerging technologies and cultural heritage.
L’articolo “Custodians of Culture”: Italy and the United States celebrate 25 years of cooperation on cultural heritage proviene da IlNewyorkese.
