Art Museum Journal

L'Espresso today posted on its Web site an audio clip of an alleged conversation between conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and escort Patrizia D'Addario. According to its transcript, the embattled billionaire politician claimed the grounds of his villa on the island of Sardinia are the site of some 30 Phoenician tombs with artifacts dating back to the 3rd Century B.C.

Italian law clearly stipulates that government authorities must be notified about the presence of archaeological finds on private property within 24 hours of their discovery for the sake of their proper excavation, inspection and cataloguing. Culture Minister Sandro Bondi was asked by Italy's Democratic Party to raise the issue of Berlusconi's possible possession of antiquities at an upcoming session of the country's parliament.

As the Republic of Italy continues to press legal claims against foreign museums for the repatriation of looted artifacts, stories of Phoenician objects purported to be on Berlusconi's sprawling Sardinian estate come as a shock to museum professionals and archaeologists worldwide. 

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