Pompeii Stolen Marble: The Astonishing Discovery in Herzele

2023-12-15 12:03:58

An astonishing discovery. Anxious to estimate the piece of marble present in the stairwell of his parents’ house in Herzele, Geert De Temmerman sought the advice of experts from the Gallo-Roman museum in Tongeren. The verdict was not long in coming: a priceless piece 2,000 years old and stolen from Pompeii almost 50 years ago. Italy now wants to recover it.

Raphaël De Temmerman (85 years old), resident of Herzele, is preparing to leave his house dating from 1971 to move into an apartment located nearby. So far, nothing extraordinary. However, his move arouses some media interest.

A trip to Pompeii

Originally, a trip to Italy. “It must have been 1975, I was still a little boy,” remembers Geert De Temmerman, interviewed by our colleagues from Het Laatste Nieuws. “During this trip, we visited Pompeii,” says his father, Raphaël. “To be honest, we mostly saw a lot of rubble there. During the excursion, I noticed that we were being followed by a man carrying a brown burlap bag. From the way he walked, I understood that the contents of the bag must be quite heavy.”

“As soon as we left the site, the man called out to us. He showed us his merchandise while repeating ‘money, money’. The bag contained scenes in stone, perhaps marble. I wanted a souvenir from Pompeii and I accepted his offer. It was clear that he wanted to get rid of his stones quickly. I don’t remember how much we paid, but expensive. I don’t remember how we got back to Belgium, but we didn’t take the plane.”

Renovations

Back at the house, the entrance hall benefits from a facelift and a gray marble finish. Then the wall at the end of the staircase is renovated with the memory of Pompeii. “To be honest, we didn’t pay much attention to it in the years that followed,” confides Geert. “Guests who came to the house never talked about it.”

“It’s authentic”

When the villa is sold, Geert requests an appraisal. “I contacted the Gallo-Roman museum in Tongeren to find out if we had anything authentic. I have attached two photos to my request. Shortly after, two specialists came to our house to take a look. I heard them whispering to each other: ‘It’s real.’ I asked them if they wanted to buy it, but they said they couldn’t. Anyway, I didn’t want to abandon him like that either. The next day, the judicial police rang the doorbell with a search warrant. We didn’t see this coming. Officers then returned to draw up a report.”

Stolen in 1975

The marble plaque, of inestimable historical value, was stolen on July 14, 1975 from the house of L. Caecilius Iucundus in Pompeii and hung above the altar in the atrium. It is supposed to represent the earthquake that struck the city in 62 AD.

“The judicial police left us documents describing these details (smiles). It’s a bit crazy to think that tourists have looked at a replica, while the original has been hanging here all this time. Will we receive money for this part? I don’t think about it anymore since the work is part of UNESCO’s world heritage. But we may be entitled to compensation because we have kept it carefully,” Geert says.

What does the Temmerman family risk?

Now, Italy wants to recover the piece of marble “of great cultural value”, explains Mathias Desmet, doctoral researcher in artistic crime (UGent). “If the holder (Editor’s note: Geert) gives it up voluntarily, he has little to fear. Even if it turns out that the work was actually stolen in Italy. Theft is prescribed and the illegal trade in stolen cultural property is difficult to judge due to the inadequacy of Belgian legislation in this area. Even if it turns out that his parents had something to do with the theft or knew they were buying stolen property, they probably won’t have to appear in court.

The De Temmerman family has not yet hired a lawyer. “But that can still change,” assures Geert. “Especially if they plan on coming for her right away. We demand at least serious compensation. The judicial police told us that it was possible”.

Who will pay?

Italy will now carry out an investigation to establish that the relief was indeed stolen. “It’s not an easy task,” explains Mathias Desmet. “The professional smuggling networks that flourished in the 1970s and 1980s falsified the provenance documents of cultural objects to sell them legally.” Only once this step has been completed will Italy be able to officially claim the object from the Belgian authorities. “Who will pay? I don’t know, but it would be a strong symbolic act if Belgium did it,” concludes the expert.

Six years ago, a funerary column from the 7th century BC was discovered in the garage of a Flemish collector in Emblem (Ranst). Barely a few days later, the Italian police were already in the Antwerp village to take everything away, armed with cardboard boxes and plastic boxes. In no time, a truck carrying the goods took the road to La Botte, where the carabinieri were able to show off their prize shortly after. A story about to repeat itself?