FBI Recovers 17th-Century Urn Stolen from Italian Church
The Boston office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has successfully retrieved a 17th-century urn that was taken from a church in Italy.
The recovery happened back in February, but details were only made public on April 30. According to reports, the urn was stolen from San Michele Arcangelo di Cangiano between August 2012 and August 2022. Authorities noted that this urn is thought to be one of 17 relics that went missing from the church, and a formal ceremony to return it took place on April 29.
“At the request of the Italian Ministry of Culture, the FBI recovered this stunning urn on February 11, 2026, from an antiques dealer based in the Northeast. This dealer had purchased it from another Italian dealer. They willingly gave up ownership of this significant artifact, allowing it to go back to its rightful home,” the FBI explained.
The FBI also shared a photo of the beautiful urn, which is made of gilded wood and is supported by four legs.
The urn functions as a reliquary, typically used to house sacred relics and sometimes even secular memorabilia, as noted by Funeral.com. Historically, reliquaries were designed to safeguard items associated with saints or other revered figures. They were, and still are, a way to honor and protect important objects.
The FBI emphasized that this urn is not just an artifact but also a piece of Italy’s historical and artistic heritage, recognized as a valuable cultural asset by the Episcopal Council of Italy.
“For the FBI, recovering an item with such emotional and cultural importance is incredibly rewarding,” stated Ted E. Docks, the Special Agent in Charge of the Boston office. “This reliquary serves as a real connection to deep religious devotion and the generations of individuals who cherished it. It embodies the blend of faith, history, and art and is invaluable to the Italian people and to humanity in general.”
Docks further remarked, “This case showcases the strength of international collaboration and our shared dedication to safeguarding cultural heritage around the world.”
Interestingly, there have been other unexpected historical finds in recent years. In 2025, a 2,000-year-old Egyptian vase was uncovered in a snack bar in Pompeii, and a collection of 17 rare books worth $3 million, stolen in the 1980s, has been returned to the descendants of a Long Island philanthropist.
