Inaugurazione Mostra "A VOLTE RITORNANO - Storia e Archeologia tra Passato e Presente"

Here is the translation of the provided Italian text into English:

**140 archaeological artifacts,** mainly ceramic, which ended up on the French Riviera following **clandestine excavations, are now resurfacing.** After an important work of study and restoration that restored value and new interpretation to artifacts with a fragmented past, the **National Archaeological Museum and Castle of Gioia del Colle** is ready to **enhance what illicit trafficking attempted to take away.**

On **Saturday, December 20, at 5:30 PM,** (with a special opening of the Museum until 11:00 PM), the **exhibition titled SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK - History and Archaeology between Past and Present** will open, exhibiting materials seized at the Museum of the Bastion of St. André, home to the Museum of Archeology of Antibes, a town between Nice and Cannes.
The result of the exemplary **Franco-Italian international recovery** operation of 1996, an immediate application of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention, conducted by the **Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, coordinated by the Bari Public Prosecutor's Office,** becomes an opportunity to **enrich qualitatively and quantitatively the cultural offer of the Museum,** thanks to the introduction of **new ceramic classes** and forms and decorations different from those already known.

The **artifacts** were **restored by the students of the Master's Degree course in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage of the "Aldo Moro" University of Bari,** under the supervision of the restorer professor, thanks to an agreement with the Regional Directorate of National Museums Puglia. Each object was analyzed to evaluate its conservation status, intervening also on previous undocumented restorations, with the goal of preserving the original material and its stability over time. The work includes material analyses, stylistic comparison, and authenticity assessment, supported by chemical, mineral-petrographic, and thermoluminescence studies.

"Every recovery strengthens the role of institutions in the **protection,** **conservation,** and **enhancement** of archaeological heritage," comments the delegate to the Regional Directorate of National Museums Puglia, arch. Francesco Longobardi. "The Ministry of Culture has long been drawing attention, through dedicated exhibitions and initiatives, to the seriousness of the phenomenon of clandestine excavations, which continues to affect Italian archaeological areas. This exhibition offers the opportunity to return to the public a significant core of artifacts, reaffirming the ability of cultural institutions to act in an integrated way in the protection and enhancement of heritage."

"The exhibition allows us to delve not only into the issue of clandestine excavations," explains the **Director of the National Archaeological Museum and Castle of Gioia del Colle, Dr. Fabio Galeandro** - but also into the intricate work that follows the recovery of materials of uncertain origin: analysis, stylistic comparisons, and authenticity checks necessary to fully reintegrate the artifacts into the scientific context and enhance them correctly. We are pleased to host in the Museum of Gioia del Colle this important testament to the ceramic variety of Southern Italy; after all, every saved artifact is a fragment of history that returns to its place."

The exhibition, included in the **Museum admission ticket,** will be available **until September 20, 2026, from Monday to Saturday from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM. It will also be possible to visit the exhibition on December 26, January 1, 4, and 6, 2026.**
On the occasion of the **inaugural evening,** the National Archaeological Museum and Castle of Gioia del Colle will remain open until 11:00 PM (last admission 10:30 PM), **with free admission starting at 5:00 PM.** At 8:00 PM, there will be a performance by Trio Mercadante with “The Italian Cinema Soundtracks.”
Web: museipuglia.cultura.gov.it/...