Italy Introduces New Legislation For Nazi-Era Art Restitution

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Italy is moving to establish its own restitution laws for artworks looted or sold under duress between 1933 and 1945, aligning with other European nations like Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, the UK, and Switzerland. The proposed legislation, introduced in March by Federico Mollicone, a lawmaker from the ruling Brothers of Italy party, aims to address the provenance of such works.

According to The Art Newspaper, if the bill advances, a five-member committee of government officials would be formed to examine the origins of confiscated or forcibly sold art. Mollicone, a member of Italy's chamber of deputies and president of the culture commission, emphasized the historical significance of the initiative.

Italy has lagged behind its European counterparts in developing restitution protocols for dispossessed Jews. For instance, France established its restitution and compensation committee in 1999, and the UK created its Spoliation Advisory Panel in 2000 to address Nazi-era looted cultural property.

Gideon Taylor, president of the World Jewish Restitution Organisation, noted Italy's previous inaction on the issue.“Italy is obviously a central country in the world of art, and yet on this issue of the Holocaust restitution, it had barely scratched the surface in addressing it,” Taylor told TAN.

The proposed legislation faces potential challenges, as Italian law currently considers works in state museums inalienable parts of national heritage. Mollicone's bill, however, argues that a final restitution decision would remove a work from the public domain and the protections of Italy's heritage code, potentially allowing it to leave the country. Mollicone stated his goal to“complete the parliamentary review and pass the bill in the coming months. We want to bring this historic reform to a successful conclusion within this legislative session.”

Source: ARTnews

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