L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5 2023 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Philadelphia Prosecutor's Office, leading to the final restitution of the letter to the Italian state. Commander of the Cara- binieri Tpc, Brigadier Gen- eral Vincenzo Molinese, shed light on the investiga- tion during the restitution ceremony in Rome, stating, "The probe commenced in 2012, and the collector, hav- ing paid one and a half mil- lion dollars for it, promptly a g r e e d t o t h e p r o c e d u r e s once the true nature of the item was revealed." The dedicated unit of the C a r a b i n i e r i , t a s k e d w i t h guarding Italy's artistic her- itage, had indeed uncovered that some rare incunabula of Christopher Columbus had surfaced in the US market. T h e s e w e r e c l o s e l y m o n i - tored by American investiga- t o r s d u e t o s u s p i c i o n s o f forgeries and the apparent theft of various documents from Italian and European libraries. "The recovery of the let- ter," stated Shawn Crow- ley, the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy, "represents a testament not only to the e f f e c t i v e c o l l a b o r a t i o n between Italy and the United States, but also to the team- work and perseverance of the Italians and Americans that made it possible." The extensive and challenging verifications were conducted by the Italian Carabinieri and American investigators from the Homeland Secu- rity Investigation, with the crucial contribution of Prof. Paul Swope Need- ham, curator of the ancient books section of the Prince- t o n U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y , a recognized expert and col- laborator of the American police. The investigation, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Rome, stemmed from the continua- tion of activities that in 2016 had already led to the recov- e r y o f a n o t h e r c o p y o f Columbus's letter stolen in that case from the Riccar- diana Library in Florence and replaced with a forgery, perhaps in the 1950s or in 1 9 8 8 . T h e o r i g i n a l h a d ended up at the Library of C o n g r e s s i n W a s h i n g t o n , which had been handed it following an auction, with the original stamp deliber- a t e l y e r a s e d . " A r t w o r k s express value, each with its own characteristics, but this incunabulum is tied to a fun- damental name of our geo- g r a p h i c i d e n t i t y , t h a t o f Christopher Columbus," said t h e M i n i s t e r o f C u l t u r e Sangiuliano at the time of the restitution to Italy. T h e t e x t h o l d s s i g n i f i - cance beyond merely chroni- cling a historic event; it nar- rates intricate details that illuminate a pivotal moment in history, a moment that heralded the modern world, a n d n o t a b l y , m a r k e d t h e inception of globalization, a concept we often presume to b e e x c l u s i v e t o o u r e r a . Through his recounting of experiences and the islands he explored, Columbus's let- t e r s u b t l y f o r e c a s t s t h e impending unfoldings: not solely the dawn of colonial- ism and the political-eco- nomic trajectories shaping the ensuing centuries, but also the unveiling of a new geographic map and a more enriched ethnology. It fur- ther reveals the discovery of an array of food products, flora, and fauna that would gradually make their way to Europe, entities we'd now term as "alien species." M o r e o v e r , t h e l e t t e r , through the direct lens of one of the primary figures of this revolutionary juncture, marks the precise instance when the hitherto known world transitioned into the " o l d " c o n t i n e n t . I t c o m - mences the documentation a n d d i s s e m i n a t i o n o f t h e history of lands and peoples beyond the ocean. Essential- ly, Columbus's letter, encap- sulating the initial interac- tions with the inhabitants of t h e B a h a m a s , a n d s u b s e - quently of Santo Domingo a n d C u b a , s t a n d s a s t h e inaugural and direct testa- ment of American history. T h i s m a k e s i t a h i g h l y s o u g h t - a f t e r i t e m a m o n g bibliophiles, with its sky- high valuations luring both mercenaries and unscrupu- lous art thieves. General Molinese further articulated, "The return of Christopher Columbus's let- ter epitomizes the enduring and invaluable Italo-Ameri- can collaboration in judicial and police endeavors, partic- u l a r l y b e t w e e n t h e C a r a - binieri for the Protection of C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e a n d Homeland Security Investi- gations. Orchestrated by the judi- ciaries of both nations, this effort facilitated the restitu- tion of a crucial historical- cultural artifact to Italian h e r i t a g e . T h e A r t C a r a - binieri, undeterred in their zeal, persist in their relent- less endeavor to safeguard cultural heritage, a mission furthered by the unwavering synergy with the Ministry of Culture. The vestiges of his- t o r y a n d a r t e m b o d y t h e shared heritage of humanity and warrant preservation." U p o n m e e t i n g Q u e e n Isabella of Castile and King F e r d i n a n d o f A r a g o n , C o l u m b u s w a s e a r n e s t l y encouraged to embark on another voyage, their fasci- nation piqued by his tales and the glimpse of astound- ing riches he provided. How- ever, in that distant April of 1493, the consensus was firm that Columbus had indeed arrived at the East Indies, a l b e i t v i a a n u n c h a r t e d route. General Molinese (right) and Patrick J. Lechleitner of the ICE (left) shake hands during the return ceremony of Columbus' incunabulum (Photo: Emanuele Antonio Minerva - © Ufficio Stampa e Comunicazione MiC) The text holds significance beyond merely chronicling a historic event; it narrates intricate details that illuminate a pivotal moment in history, a moment that heralded the modern world, and notably, marked the inception of globalization, a concept we often presume to be exclusive to our era CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Columbus, as portrayed on an Italian commemorative stamp celebrating the 500th anniversary of his first American voyage ((Photo: Tiziano Casalta/Dreamstime)

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