Authorities from Italy’s cultural heritage protection unit have asked the Benedictine Confederation for assistance in identifying a reliquary believed to contain the remains of Saint Boniface. The object, currently in the possession of the Carabinieri in Bari, may have been taken unlawfully from a Benedictine church or monastery.

Photos of the ornate reliquary were submitted to Sant’Anselmo in Rome by Matteo Scozzi, a police officer assigned to the investigation. It is not yet clear when or from where the object was removed.

Those with information that might help establish the reliquary’s provenance are encouraged to contact Officer Scozzi directly at: tpcbanu@carabinieri.it

Five images of the object have been made available on this post for reference.