Tourist returns pumice stone stolen from Pompeii with apology letter

A vacationer who stole pumice stones from the traditional metropolis of Pompeii has returned the artefacts together with a grovelling letter, claiming the pilfered fragments have been ‘cursed’.

The lady despatched a package deal containing three small stones and a letter written in English saying she ‘did not know in regards to the curse’ of Pompeii when she stole the artefacts throughout a vacation in southern Italy.

The younger vacationer, who didn’t give her title, revealed that she had been recognized with breast most cancers inside a yr of her go to to Pompeii within the letter.

‘I did not know in regards to the curse. I did not know that I mustn’t take any rocks,’ the lady wrote. ‘Within a yr, I obtained breast most cancers. I’m a younger and wholesome feminine, and docs stated it was “just bad luck”.’

‘Please settle for my apology and these items,’ the vacationer added, earlier than signing off the letter with ‘I’m sorry’ in Italian.

The lady despatched a package deal containing three small stones and a letter written in English saying she ‘did not know in regards to the curse’ of Pompeii when she stole the artefacts throughout a vacation in southern Italy

Pompeii was destroyed after Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, masking the traditional metropolis in volcanic ash, preserving it till it was rediscovered within the sixteenth century. 

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii’s archaeological park, shared an image of the letter and the returned artefacts on X and wrote: ‘Dear nameless sender of this letter, the pumice stones arrived in Pompeii. Now good luck to your future.’

This is not the primary time a vacationer has returned artefacts they stole from Pompeii, citing a ‘curse’ as the rationale for doing so.

In 2020, a Canadian lady, recognized solely as Nicole, despatched a package deal containing two mosaic tiles, elements of an amphora and a chunk of ceramics she had pilfered from Pompeii to a journey agent within the Italian metropolis. 

Nicole, who had stolen the artefacts in 2005, stated she was returning them after they’d given her 15 years of dangerous luck. 

She wrote a letter of confession during which she detailed her theft and her subsequent run of misfortune, together with two instances of breast most cancers and monetary hardship. 

Nicole wrote: ‘Please, take them again, they convey dangerous luck.’ 

She stated she took the artefacts as a result of she needed to personal a chunk of historical past that nobody else had, however they’d ‘a lot adverse power… linked to that land of destruction’.

Pompeii was destroyed after Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, masking the traditional metropolis in volcanic ash, preserving it till it was rediscovered within the sixteenth century (file picture) 

At the time, she stated: ‘I’m now 36 and had breast most cancers twice. The final time ending in a double mastectomy.

‘My household and I additionally had monetary issues. We’re good individuals and I do not wish to go this curse on to my household or kids.’

Her package deal additionally contained one other letter of confession written by a pair from Canada who stole from the positioning in 2005.

She stated they took the artefacts with out considering of those that suffered there 1000’s of years in the past. 

The historic metropolis is likely one of the most visited sights in Italy and has needed to deal with many vacationers pilfering its ruins.

So many stolen relics have been returned to the positioning together with letters expressing guilt that officers at Pompeii arrange a museum to show them.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel stated they’d obtained lots of of apologetic letters from vacationers who had stolen artefacts from the traditional web site, lots of whom cited a ‘curse’.

Speaking in regards to the newest case of the lady who despatched again three pumice stones, he informed RaiNews24: ‘We responded to the girl who wrote to us as a result of her letter may be very touching however I bear in mind it: stealing items from archaeological websites is against the law and we should report all the pieces to the authorities.’

He added: ‘Many individuals write to us in regards to the alleged curse and inform us in regards to the misfortunes they’ve suffered at work, in sickness: these are touching and unhappy issues. Many write returning objects stolen once they have been kids, these are thefts that occurred a long time in the past.’

Zuchtriegel stated ‘it is not sensible to take these objects away’, earlier than including: ‘We additionally monitor the positioning with video surveillance, however the web site is giant and it might occur that one thing is stolen.’ 

Some thieves have even tried to promote elements of Pompeii on-line, with a brick from the ruins showing on eBay in 2015.