FBI tracks down centuries-old Christian artifact in unexpected place: 'Incredibly exciting'

The FBI precocious announced that it recovered a stolen, centuries-old spiritual artifact from Italy aft it resurfaced successful an unexpected location: New England.

The 17th-century reliquary urn was obtained by FBI agents connected February 11, though officials did not denote its betterment until April 30.

The urn was "one of 17 ecclesiastical artifacts stolen from the Church of San Michele Arcangelo di Cangiano," betwixt 2012 and 2022, the FBI's Boston bureau said successful a statement.

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Images amusement the gilded artifact's ornate Baroque design, which was utilized to clasp Catholic relics.

Kristen Setera, a spokesperson for the FBI's Boston office, told Fox News Digital the urn was discovered missing during an inventory successful November 2022.

The FBI recovered this 17th-century reliquary urn stolen from an Italian religion aft it resurfaced successful New England. (FBI Boston)

Investigators aboriginal traced the astir 400-year-old artifact to a New England antiques dealer, who had purchased it from different trader successful Italy.

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"We bash not cognize however oregon who stole the urn from the church, but we bash cognize it was sold to a New England-based antiques trader and shipped to the United States," said Setera.

The FBI worked with Italian authorities to place the New England antiques dealer, who agents aboriginal interviewed.

The Baroque reliquary urn is protected nether agreements betwixt Italy and the Vatican City State. (FBI Boston)

"During the interview, the urn was examined and accusation was gleaned connected however the antiques trader came to get the urn," Setera added. "Based connected this interrogation and examination of the urn, the determination was made [that] the urn was the 1 missing from the religion of San Michele Arcangelo."

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She besides said, "This accusation was shared with the antiques dealer, who yet agreed to crook implicit the urn to the FBI for repatriation to Italy."

"It represents the intersection of faith, past and art."

The FBI worked with the Italian Ministry of Culture passim the process.

The urn had a ceremonial repatriation ceremonial successful Italy connected April 29, the FBI said.

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The Baroque urn "represents a important portion of Italian history," the bureau added — and is "subject to extortion by the Italian State based on the Accords successful unit with the Vatican City State."

Officials said the gilded Baroque urn represents a important portion of Italian spiritual and taste history. (FBI Boston)

Ted E. Docks, peculiar cause successful complaint of the FBI's Boston Division, called the betterment "incredibly exciting."

"After all, this reliquary urn is a tangible nexus to aggravated spiritual devotion and a transportation to the generations who lived and prayed with it," Docks said successful a statement.

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"It represents the intersection of faith, past and creation — elements that are invaluable to the radical of Italy and to humanity arsenic a whole."