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The temptation is great. Small stones, shards, mosaic fragments – they just lie on the floor. You just have to pick them up. But those who pocket such “souvenirs” from archaeological sites are not only threatened with heavy fines – sometimes they are also followed by an evil curse. At least that’s what one young tourist currently making headlines in Italy believes.
When she visited the ancient city of Pompeii, the woman took home three pumice stones as a souvenir. Now the Archaeological Park administration has received the artifacts back. In the package without return address, but with a written confession in English.
After her trip to Naples, the tourist was diagnosed with breast cancer. It is clear to her: it is punishment for the crime and she has been affected by the evil curse of Pompeii. “I didn’t know I shouldn’t have taken the stones,” she insists desperately. “Within a year I was diagnosed with cancer. I am young and healthy. The doctors say it’s just bad luck.” But she suspects that force majeure is behind it. To calm them down, she returns the stolen goods and hopes for recovery. She writes to management: “Please accept my apology and these documents. I’m sorry.”
Many believe in the curse of Pompeii
Director Gabrielschikriegel (42) accepts the apology. On platform X he answers: “Dear anonymous letter writer, the pumice stones have arrived in Pompeii. Now I wish you the best of luck for your future.”
The penitent is not the first and only one. The administration of the Archaeological Park in Pompeii constantly receives mail from repentant tourists. 15 years ago, a 36-year-old Canadian woman returned stolen mosaic stones and ceramic shards because she became seriously ill after the theft. “I took with me a piece of history that absorbed so much negative energy at the time,” she wrote at the time. “People died in such terrible ways and I took with me shards that had come into contact with that kind of destruction.”
Another woman, a widow, discovered artifacts in her husband’s suitcase after he died of a heart attack. The management also received this back from the ancient city of Pompeii. There is now a separate room where the letters and returned souvenirs are kept.
The lava flow was God’s revenge for sinful life
The superstition surrounding the curse of Pompeii goes back centuries. That in 79 B.C. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in the 4th century BC and lava buried the city of Pompeii, it was seen as God’s punishment for the sinful lives of its residents. The lava preserved the bodies and their surroundings, so that ancient Pompeii can still be visited today.
The young tourist’s anonymous letter touched him, Gabrielschikriegel told RaiNews24, “but taking finds from archaeological sites is a criminal offense and we must report the theft.” There are many who want to write to him. “They say the curse of Pompeii brought them bad luck at work or illness,” the German resident continued. They have good video surveillance in Pompeii. But it is not always possible to catch thieving tourists red-handed – and save them from the curse.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
