The theft of naturalistic specimens in museum contexts. A modern phenomenon with historical roots

The work aims to turn the spotlight on the vulnerability of naturalistic museum collections to thievery. This topic is under-represented in museological and legal discourses, despite the awareness of the impor- tance of building up security measures to counter illicit misconduct. To reach this goal, the historical roots of the phenomenon are investigated by analyzing the thefts that occurred at the Florentine Imperial and Royal Museum of Physics and Natural History between the 18th and 19th centuries. Particular attention is paid to the stolen minerals by reconstructing the forensic investigations and their collecting history to the present day. The study of these criminal cases revealed a gradual implementation of protection means such as cataloging the specimens. In conclusion, this work proves the importance to maintain attention on the vulnerability factors of museum naturalistic collections, stressing the use of proper methods and practices useful to their mitigation.