Stolen 14th-century Reliquary of San Galgano Recovered After 32 Years

The Reliquary of San Galgano, a 14th-century silver and gold artifact stolen in 1989 from the Museo del Seminario di Monteriggioni in Siena, has been recovered by the Carabinieri Nucleo per la Tutela del Patrimonio Culturale di Palermo and the Sezione di Siracusa. The reliquary was found in a collector's home in the province of Catania, along with other precious metalwork including a 12th-century silver cross, two pyxes, and six silver chalices dating from the 13th to 17th centuries. All recovered items have been returned to the Archdiocese of Siena. One chalice remains missing. The reliquary, damaged from decades of improper storage, will undergo restoration at the Vatican Museums' laboratories. Culture Minister Dario Franceschini praised the Carabinieri's work, calling it "another beautiful page written by the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage." Vatican Museums director Barbara Jatta described the recovery as "almost unprecedented" for its historical, artistic, and devotional significance. The artifacts were crafted by Sienese or Roman goldsmiths between the 12th and 18th centuries.