(ANSA) - Rome, May 18 - Italian Carabinieri art police said Wednesday that they have recovered the letter in which Christopher Columbus announced the discovery of the 'new world'.
The letter, which was stolen in Florence and then sold on in the United States, was produced in 1493 and is considered of enormous historical importance. The details of the operation will be revealed at a press conference on Wednesday featuring Culture Minister Dario Franceschini and the United States Ambassador to Italy John R. Phillips.
The Christopher Columbus letter, which was stolen from Florence's Riccardiana library, was found in the United States Library of Congress in Washington D.C. The Congress library had bought it for around $400,000, although experts believe the document's real value is closer to $1 million. The United States agreed to return the letter after the Carabinieri art police told then its origins.