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The story of Italy's most astonishing archaeological fraud

2026-08-03 19:20:49Histori SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

He built a mock Roman theater among the hills of the province of Vicenza in Italy, using modern stone blocks artificially aged to look ancient.

He presented it as an archaeological discovery containing remains from Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and even the Neolithic.

He organized guided tours and historical reenactments, charged up to 40 euros per visitor, was included in an official tourist guide, and ended up in prison, sentenced to two years and four months in a final decision.

This is the story of Franco Malosso, a 69-year-old Italian who carried out one of Italy's most amazing archaeological hoaxes.

After a 10-year process and confirmation of the conviction by the Supreme Court, the author of this colossal fraud entered Ventimiglia prison a few months ago to serve his sentence for illegal construction and forgery of works of art.

The story of Italy's most astonishing archaeological fraud

The story began a few years before 2016, when Malosso began building the fake ancient theater in the hills of Arcugnano. On an area of ??5,000 square meters, he installed stairs built with worked stones to look old.

The columns are made of cement, as are the plaster statues and an artificial pond under the arena seats. The structure known as the Anfiteatro Berico is actually a semicircle inspired by a Roman theater.

In 2016, following a complaint from the Municipality of Arcugnano, an investigation was launched that concluded that the entire complex was modern and had been built without the required permits. This marked the beginning of a complex legal process.

Malossos's purpose remains unclear. At first he presented the site as a genuine archaeological site. Later, when investigations began, he claimed it was a reconstruction of a theater that had once existed beneath the hill.

But the theory was rejected by the Cultural Heritage Supervision, which found that there were no archaeological remains and that all the structures were modern.

His defense argued that the forgery was done so "stupidly" that no one could believe it was real.

But judges found that the installation was presented as authentic and had generated economic benefits. The case continues to cause consternation in Italy.

The story of Italy's most astonishing archaeological fraud

Experts agree that an authentic archaeological site is easily recognizable to a specialist. Jacopo Bonetto, an archaeologist at the University of Padua, explains that identification depends on architectural characteristics, materials, construction techniques and state of preservation.

“It is completely absurd to think that an ancient building could be confused with a modern one,” he says.

Bonetto also points out that the location itself should have raised suspicions. “Ancient amphitheaters were built, in 99% of cases, on the outskirts of Roman cities. An amphitheatre in the middle of the village is naturally fake,” he says.

According to him, an inspection by competent archaeologists was enough to realize that it was a forgery.

The court ruling orders Malosso to compensate the city, demolish the theater, and restore the hill to its original condition, although that order has not yet been implemented.

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