Stolen artefacts 'of inestimable value' seized from lawyer

(ANSA) - Rome, November 25 - Police on Tuesday seized stolen archaeological and cultural artefacts of "inestimable value" from the home of a civil lawyer in Rome.
    The material, dating from ancient Etruscan times to the Baroque period, came from at least 24 separate thefts carried out across the regions of Lazio, Umbria, the Marches, Abruzzo and Tuscany over the course of years, police said.
    The booty included marble slabs, murals, paintings, bibles, crucifixes, tapestries, statues and artefacts stolen from archaeological excavations and burial sites. Investigators claim the lawyer, 60, knew the items were stolen as newspaper clippings and photographs pertaining to the thefts were also found at his home in Grottarossa on the northern outskirts of the capital.
    The man faces charges of possessing stolen goods.