The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is proud to announce it has recovered a 17th century reliquary urn, carved and gilded in wood, believed to be one of 17 ecclesiastical artifacts stolen from the Church of San Michele Arcangelo di Cangiano sometime between August 1, 2012, and August 31, 2022. The FBI has orchestrated its return to the Italian Republic where a formal repatriation ceremony was held yesterday.
The FBI, at the request of the Italian Ministry of Culture, recovered the opulent 17th century reliquary urn on February 11, 2026, from an antiques dealer based in the Northeast who had purchased it from another antiques dealer in Italy. The dealer has voluntarily relinquished ownership of this historic artifact so it can be returned to its rightful home.
This urn represents a significant piece of Italian history and is registered in the inventory of the Historical Artistic Heritage Items of the C.E.I. (Italian Episcopal Conference) Italian Dioceses and is subject to protection by the Italian State based on the Accords in force with the Vatican City State.
“It’s incredibly exciting when the FBI can recover a piece of history that carries such deep emotional and cultural significance. After all, this reliquary urn is a tangible link to intense religious devotion and a connection to the generations who lived and prayed with it. It represents the intersection of faith, history, and art—elements that are invaluable to the people of Italy and to humanity as a whole,” said Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “This case highlights the power of international cooperation and our collective commitment to safeguard the world’s cultural treasures, no matter where they may be.”
FBI Boston initiated this investigation in the fall of 2025 as a result of continued coordination and intelligence sharing between the FBI’s Art Crime Team, the FBI’s Law Enforcement Attaché in Rome, and its counterparts from the Italian Carabinieri.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team, composed of special agents and personnel uniquely trained in art and cultural property investigations throughout the Bureau, will repatriate the urn to the Italian Republic during a ceremony in Rome, Italy, in the near future. Since the team’s inception, the Bureau has recovered more than 20,000 items worth more than $1 billion. For more information, visit fbi.gov/artcrime.
