17th-century gilded reliquary urn recovered by FBI Boston, believed stolen from an Italian church during a decade-long theft period | Photo by FBI Boston
BOSTON, Mass.- The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has recovered a 17th-century reliquary urn believed to be among a group of ecclesiastical artifacts stolen from an Italian church over a decade-long period.
According to the FBI, the carved and gilded wooden urn was taken from the Church of San Michele Arcangelo di Cangiano sometime between August 2012 and August 2022. It is one of 17 items reported stolen from the church.
The artifact was recovered on Feb. 11, 2026, at the request of Italy’s Ministry of Culture. Investigators located the urn with an antiques dealer in the northeastern United States, who had purchased it from another dealer in Italy. Authorities said the dealer voluntarily relinquished the item to facilitate its return.
The urn is listed in the official inventory of historical and artistic heritage items maintained by the Italian Episcopal Conference and is protected under agreements between the Italian government and Vatican City.
FBI Boston opened its investigation in fall 2025, working in coordination with the bureau’s Art Crime Team, its legal attaché office in Rome, and Italy’s Carabinieri.
A formal repatriation ceremony was held April 29, 2026, in Rome, where the FBI returned the artifact to the Italian Republic.
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