Cultural heritage protection is not just about recovering stolen artefacts; it also involves reconstructing their histories, monitoring suspicious market movements and training those who guard them. This is the approach behind a new professional training programme launched by Italy and several African nations, part of the broader Piano Mattei initiative.
The programme stems from a three-year agreement between Italy's National School for Cultural Heritage and Cultural Activities and the École du Patrimoine Africain (EPA) in Porto-Novo, Benin. The first course, which began this month, brings together professionals from nine French-speaking African countries. The Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC) is also contributing, sharing its investigative expertise and experience in international cooperation.
Provenance and digitisation to stop illicit trafficking
The training aims to strengthen the technical skills of museum and cultural institution staff, with a focus on documenting collections, digitising inventories and researching the provenance of works. Provenance research involves establishing where an object was located, who owned it and through which transactions it reached the market. Incomplete documents, unclear changes of ownership or exports lacking necessary authorisations can help identify items that have been stolen or clandestinely excavated.
Traceability is also crucial in preventing artefacts from looting or unstable areas from entering private collections and international commercial circuits. Up-to-date inventories and shared digital archives can make it easier to recognise sought-after objects and provide authorities with the information needed to launch investigations.
The course involves professionals from Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Morocco, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia. The goal is to build lasting skills and relationships among operators, administrations and institutions on both continents.
From the Axum obelisk to the Benin Bronzes: the impact of restitutions
Cooperation on heritage protection takes place against a backdrop marked by looting, illegal exports and disputes over the restitution of works. A particularly significant case for Italy-Africa relations is the Axum obelisk in Ethiopia. The monument, a stele dating back around 1,700 years, was removed by Italian troops during the fascist occupation in 1937 and taken to Rome. After decades of requests and negotiations, Italy returned it to Ethiopia in 2005. The monument, transported in three large sections, was reassembled at its original site in 2008, with the involvement of UNESCO and Italian funding for the operation. It is an example of international cooperation that required not only a political agreement but also complex technical and logistical work.
Another emblematic case is that of the Benin Bronzes, now part of Nigeria's heritage. In 1897, during the British military expedition against the Kingdom of Benin, thousands of objects were looted from the royal palace and later dispersed into Western collections. In 2022, Germany embarked on a restitution process of historic scope: the foundation overseeing Berlin's state museums transferred ownership of 512 objects from the Ethnological Museum collection to Nigeria, under a broader agreement that also covered other artefacts. Some of the works remained on temporary display in Berlin on loan, while ownership passed to Nigeria.
These cases show why the protection of cultural property requires different, complementary tools. Restitution addresses the claims of countries of origin, while prevention and documentary research can help identify removed works, trace their journeys and curb new trafficking. The historical episodes linked to colonial plunder, however, do not automatically coincide with contemporary offences: each case calls for a specific documentary and legal reconstruction.
The role of the Art Carabinieri and international cooperation
Italy's experience in tackling crimes against cultural heritage also rests on the work of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, set up in 1969. This specialised unit conducts investigations into thefts, illegal excavations, unlawful exports and the sale of works of illicit origin, also by working with judicial authorities and foreign police forces.
International cooperation is already a tangible tool in recovery operations. In 2022, for instance, the TPC Carabinieri worked with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the US agency Homeland Security Investigations to recover Italian archaeological artefacts that had reached the United States via international trafficking networks. The operation led to the return of 58 objects, including works from the Etruscan, Roman and Magna Graecia periods.
The guiding principle behind these activities also applies to collaboration with African countries: sharing information, documentation and expertise can facilitate the identification of items, support investigations and make recovery and restitution procedures more effective.
At international level, a key point of reference is the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which commits states to combat the illicit import, export and transfer of cultural property and promotes cooperation for their recovery. The Convention also encourages preventive tools such as national inventories, export certificates and controls on the trade in works.
The new training path is part of the cultural cooperation promoted by Italy as part of the Piano Mattei for Africa. It reflects a broader European effort to address the legacy of colonial-era looting and to build sustainable partnerships with African nations. As Italy faces domestic challenges, this initiative shows a commitment to international cultural diplomacy. The programme also aligns with practical cooperation efforts seen elsewhere in international forums, and it comes at a time when Europe is grappling with other crises. By investing in training and traceability, Italy and its African partners aim to make it harder for traffickers to operate and easier for rightful owners to reclaim their heritage.
