U.S. Officials Return Rare Columbus Document to Italy

Last week, U.S. federal officials repatriated an original edition of a 15th century document authored by Christopher Columbus that had been taken from a museum in Venice.

The repatriation marks the fourth time in recent years that American officials have returned other stolen editions of the rare document that were found to have been replaced with forgeries. In 2018, one taken from the Vatican was returned by the U.S. to Italy. Others taken from libraries in Barcelona and Florence have also been repatriated.

Original editions of the manuscript, dated from 1493, describe Columbus’s findings in the Caribbean Islands and addresses the Spanish royals who financed the expedition.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Patrick J. Lechleitner, who traveled to Rome to return the letter during an official repatriation ceremony, praised officials of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Italian officials involved in executing the return of the document to Italy.

“Italy and the United States maintain a solid partnership, particularly on law enforcement issues,” said Lechleitner. The return was, according to a press statement, the result of a “complex” seven-year investigation between American and Italian officials. Italy’s culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, who was present for the return said the document will be showcased in a traveling exhibition.

The original letter penned by Columbus was sent to Rome and printed by Stephan Plannck, a prominent publisher, and distributed to libraries across Europe.

Investigators began inquiries into the artifact’s location in 2011 after the U.S. homeland security officials overseeing cultural property and the Delaware U.S. Attorney’s Office were notified that multiple editions of the 15th century manuscript were stolen from libraries in Europe and replaced with forgeries.

In 2020, authorities announced the discovery of the current document, which was then valued at $1.3 million. It had been reported as missing from its original location at the Marciana National Library in Venice since 1988 and later found to have been sold privately in 2005.

Investigators traced it to a privately owned manuscript collection in the United States. A private collector, whose identity was not disclosed, cooperated with officials to return the artifact, investigators said in a statement.