Beni culturali umani

Overview & Synopsis

The essay explores the legal status of human remains that arouse cultural interest. Through the analysis of several cases—such as that of the ‘Cesare Lombroso’ Museum of Criminal Anthropology in Turin—the category of ‘human cultural property’ is examined from three main perspectives. Firstly, the essay investigates the reasons why, upon death, human bodies are legally transformed into ‘things.’ Secondly, it analyses the limits imposed by the ‘human’ nature of these things on the potential reinterpretations they may undergo, as exemplified by the challenge of reconciling the sentiment of piety towards the deceased with a museum display of remains used in the past to theorise the alleged biological roots of criminal behaviour. Finally, the essay delves into the issue of the restitution of human remains, focusing on cases where such actions aim to achieve a ‘reparative’ function.