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Art Raiders: Caccia ai tombaroli
Through a combination of interviews and studio reconstructions, recount the gripping stories behind those who have excavated and stolen masterpieces.
Ancient Greek artifact The Euphronios Krater was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1972 but was thought to have been excavated illegally in Italy the year before. The ensuing investigation implicated American art dealer Robert Hecht and the Italian antiques dealer Giacomo Medici.
In 1988, the Getty Museum in California acquired a statue depicting a Greek goddess for an eye-watering £18 million. However, with its dubious accompanying provenance, suspicions begin to arise that it is actually a stolen artifact, leading to an investigation that finds alleged links to organised crime.
The Capitoline Triad is a unique sculpture that comprised the three Roman deities Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, and was discovered in the ancient Villa of Inviolata in 1992 by grave robbers. This episodes retraces the Italian military police's investigation, which led to them successfully retrieving it two years later in Switzerland.
The remarkable story of how the Vase of Asteas was initially sold by the tomb robber who discovered it for a million lire and a pig, eventually finding its way to the Getty Museum in California, but how a chance car crash and a rogue Polaroid helped bring the unique artifact back to its place of origin.
Aindrea Emelife
Narrator
Lynda Albertson
Self - Art Crime Expert
Darius Arya
Self - Archaeologist
Benjamina Efua Dadzie
Self - Archaeologist
Fabio Isman
Self - Journalist
Daniela Rizzo
Self - Forensic Archaeologist
Roberto Riccardi
Self - Carabinieri Commander, TPC
Salvatore Morando
Self - Archaeology Section, TPC Operational Department
Sebastiano Antoci
Self - Archaeology Section, TPC Operational Department