A Canadian tourist has returned five artifacts she swiped during a 2005 trip to Pompeii, claiming these items have brought nothing but bad luck to her and her family, according to the Italian newspaper Il Messagero.
The woman, who identified herself as "Nicole," was 21 years old when she stole two white mosaic tiles, two pieces of amphora vases, and a piece of ceramic wall. She shipped these items to the Archeological Park of Pompeii, along with a letter of apology, which explained that she was "young and dumb" at the time and "wanted to have a piece of history that couldn’t be bought." Nicole hopes this gesture will "shake off the curse that has fallen on me and my family."
"We are good people and I don't want to pass this curse on to my family or children. For this forgive me for the gesture made years ago, I learned my lesson," she wrote, perPeople. "I just want to shake off the curse that has fallen on me and my family. Please accept these artifacts so that you do the right thing for the mistake I made."
"I am so sorry, one day I will return to your beautiful country to apologize in person," she added.
A spokesperson for the Archeological Park of Pompeii told Canada's CTV News that they have received about a hundred letters from people, like Nicole, who wanted to return stolen artifacts. A number of these notes are currently on display as a warning at the Pompeii Antiquarium.
