Going to Italy - should I take my DFX with me?

[wolfmanjoe3]

I am going to Italy for 11 days with a group of about 20 folks in April of 2008. It is a group tour with organized events most of the time. There are three or four partial days when we are on our own - the rest of the time we are going with the group on organized tours.

I've got the compact carrying case with my DFX (Xmas present). I've traveled by airplane with it once and although it isn't that heavy, it takes up a fair amount of space. I put it inside a larger suitcase to protect it (and keep it from walking away at the airport). But that leaves less room for other necessities.

​

So, my questions:

1) Is anyone aware of any laws or restrictions regarding MDing in Italy (specifically Rome, Florence, & Venice)?
2) Assuming there are no restrictions, does anyone have experience traveling by air with a MD to a foreign country?
3) For recharging batteries - would I need an adapter for power?
4) If I only have 3-4 opportunities to get out, is it worth the hassle of transporting the MD across the big pond and from city to city?

Any opinions welcome. I would especially appreciate any input from anyone with experience MDing in Italy.

Joe

 

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[army82]

I was stationed in italy for three years never seen a metal detector their. And you will need a inverter box to charge it you can buy them pretty cheap in Rome. I would be careful they are pretty strict on relic hunting. But their is so much to see and do I doubt you will have a chance to find a place to hunt

 

[jean-philippe]

Sorry to disapoint you, but detecting in Italy is stricly forbidden. I often detect near the border between France and Italy, very risky Italian Police can take your metal detector and bring you strait to the police station.
Jean-philippe

 

[wolfmanjoe3]

Well that answers that question... Looks like I'll have to leave the MD at home.

 

[melvin_it]

Yes you have. I'm from Italy, I work in cultural resources and I use detecting just under the Bureau permission. To tell the truth, just the known archaeological sites are forbidden to hunt, they're quite like a restricted area. All the people who'd like detecting must avoid those sites but there are a lot unknown ones all around. The law says if you find anything older than 60 years (who's so able to determinate it each time) you have to give it to the Carabinieri (a local police corp) whitin 24 hours. So you can hunt in fact, but because the laws are very uncertain (it's normal here) you risk the cops come check you out anyway, with questions and inspections...it's happens usually, but in many areas a lot of people hunts and sells what he wants, and the biggest part of those are only night ransakers! So while the place for honest people's very "narrow", the lawless don't care for penalties and do what he want..It's sadly normal here.


Melvin.

 

[Gilligan]

Yes you have. I'm from Italy, I work in cultural resources and I use detecting just under the Bureau permission. To tell the truth, just the known archaeological sites are forbidden to hunt, they're quite like a restricted area. All the people who'd like detecting must avoid those sites but there are a lot unknown ones all around. The law says if you find anything older than 60 years (who's so able to determinate it each time) you have to give it to the Carabinieri (a local police corp) whitin 24 hours. So you can hunt in fact, but because the laws are very uncertain (it's normal here) you risk the cops come check you out anyway, with questions and inspections...it's happens usually, but in many areas a lot of people hunts and sells what he wants, and the biggest part of those are only night ransakers! So while the place for honest people's very "narrow", the lawless don't care for penalties and do what he want..It's sadly normal here.


Melvin.

Back in the 1980's I was stationed at Comiso Air Station in Sicily. I did some detecting and never had any problems. Though one time I was stopped by the Carabinieri when they flagged me with a stick as I was driving back to base from Scoglitti. I had my detector in the car, and they were suspicious, but let me go. I was nervous because I had just come from a site where I had found some old pottery shards and had them in the trunk. Stay out of the large green fence areas, as they are archeological sites. Don't even go near them with a detector. A local from Scoglitti let me into his home after he saw me with my detector at Scoglitti Beach and actually gave me 2 old coins that apparently he had gotten from an archeological site, he used the word 'clandestini', which I believe meant that he went out at night and found them where he should not have been. Very nice man, gave me some wine to drink and introduced me to his family. Sicilians are great people, nice. I enjoyed that assignment. Bryan in NC

 

[melvin_it]

All the (good) southern Italian people is great...Welcome anybody here is a main tradition, then they love US more than in the north. They wonders what would be if they were a part of US instead than be a North Italy's/Mafia's Colony....

Take any find from an archaeological site is illegal here, but not detecting where ain't no known sites. So you must beware as well: you may be detecting on a new site nobody knew before...is plenty. In this case, if you find archaeological/old stuff you must to go to the Carabinieri and give'em it. The same if you find bullets, bombs, guns or so but, if they're unoffensive, you can keep 'em with you.

'Clandestini', 'tombaroli' (litterally tomb-riders)...unfortunately is plenty too and they're all detectorists by night: 2 prison years with parole, if they lucky. I helped many times the Carabinieri to catch 'em and witnessed against in process. They destroy the sites for money as well as good detectorists reputation. Fight'em is a duty: they throw away all the capability of the South to grow with Cultural Resources Management for a touristic goal..So make this region even more poor in perfect agree with the North-italian colonial vision.

God bless us all and US Forces all round the world.

I'm happy you enjoyed The South.

C.M.

 

[LadyDigger]

What about the beaches, like in Gaeta? Would detecting be allowed on the beaches? I loved Gaeta (Vic's Bar!! YEAH! and the fresh bread every morning that guy would slip us out the back door across the street from Vic's!!)

I loved Italy, the people, the history, the traditions, everything! I would like to also, take this time, to THANK ALL the Italian folks I met during my 3 years there for wonderful hospitiality you had shown me and my daughter while I was stationed in Naples (AFSOUTH)! God Bless you All!!! And Molto Gracie for your patience on teaching me your language!

But, back to my question....are the beaches ok to detect and does the same rules apply (60+ years)?

In the states, some places require you (mostly state parks that give you permission to detect, with permit), you have to turn in any item 50+ years. And some places want you to leave it where you found it!

Wolfman...I hope you had a wonderful time in Italy!!!!

Ciao,
Annamaria

 

[melvin_it]

Hi Annamaria,

How nice listen you enjoyed the South...You maybe have some late relationship with Italy, am I wrong? South is the best, anyway...Well, the rule is always the same: any find older than 60 years is State property and you must give it whitin 24 hours. Doesn't matter if you find it in beaches, backyard, lawn, your own properties or so.
Usually authorities doesn't care if that stuff don't have an artistic or historical or particular value (as a coin, a buckle, a ring, a cross etc..) and they allow you to keep'em: of course, you can avoid to go to show the finds if they don't have these features.. In case of Weapons, bombs, Guns, bullets contact immediately the Carabinieri (local Police Corp).

Beaches are a State property and you can go there hunting quite freely in winter. In the harvest season a lot of beaches are rented for tourism so you must ask the permission to the temporary owner.
If you hunts inland you must ask the landowner permission. If the landowner is the State the bureaucracy could be unfinished so simply go there, hunt and good luck!!!

Remember: you'll never find any forbidden zone tag (in italian: 'area sottoposta a vincolo') so you must take informations before you start hunting. As I said in the other post, thousands of sites are still unknown so beware in beaches too...Once, in Tuscany we found several Etruscan graves, with beautyfull artifacts, in the shore. We had to rise a sand and stones wall to stop the tides!
If you suspect you encountered an archaeological site while detecting, go away.

I'm here for any further info.

Cheers.

Melvin

 

[Saturna]

White's has a distributor in Italy. I don't know if this is current...

Electronic Company
Stefano Morsiani
Via Pediano 3
40026 Imola Bo
Italy

Tel: 0039 0542600108
Fax: 0039 0542600108

[email protected]

 

[LadyDigger]

Hi Annamaria,

How nice listen you enjoyed the South...You maybe have some late relationship with Italy, am I wrong? South is the best, anyway...Well, the rule is always the same: any find older than 60 years is State property and you must give it whitin 24 hours. Doesn't matter if you find it in beaches, backyard, lawn, your own properties or so.
Usually authorities doesn't care if that stuff don't have an artistic or historical or particular value (as a coin, a buckle, a ring, a cross etc..) and they allow you to keep'em: of course, you can avoid to go to show the finds if they don't have these features.. In case of Weapons, bombs, Guns, bullets contact immediately the Carabinieri (local Police Corp).

Beaches are a State property and you can go there hunting quite freely in winter. In the harvest season a lot of beaches are rented for tourism so you must ask the permission to the temporary owner.
If you hunts inland you must ask the landowner permission. If the landowner is the State the bureaucracy could be unfinished so simply go there, hunt and good luck!!!

Remember: you'll never find any forbidden zone tag (in italian: 'area sottoposta a vincolo') so you must take informations before you start hunting. As I said in the other post, thousands of sites are still unknown so beware in beaches too...Once, in Tuscany we found several Etruscan graves, with beautyfull artifacts, in the shore. We had to rise a sand and stones wall to stop the tides!
If you suspect you encountered an archaeological site while detecting, go away.

I'm here for any further info.

Cheers.

Melvin

Hi Melvin,

I have not been back to Italy since 1991....but I loved every moment I spent there. I did not have a detector then, wish I did!!!

It does not matter where you went in Italy, history was everywhere! I was so fascinated with Rome and I had the pleasure of meeting Pope John Paul twice (once in a special meeting set up by my ship!).

I use to love driving within Italy to the smaller towns. Folks were so down to earth and so friendly and helpful! Not that they weren't in Naples or Rome..but cities (like in the U.S.)...too many folks! LOL

Learning Italy's history was fascinating as well...like Herculium and Pompeii (went to both and it was fascinating to see the history they uncovered!!!)

I don't have any family relations in Italy, but my cousin's do...they are CURCURATO and DEVITA ... both their roots stem from Sicily.

Happy Hunting,
Annmarie

 

[melvin_it]

Yeah! I do believe you! You know I'm an archaeologist (Ph.D. Medieval Archaeology) and History is my daily meal...;-). As you love South Italy I do love the States...Why? You simply great!

Ciao.
Melvin

 

[rayredditch]

The North of the Country is okay, and you can buy a detecting permit from the local gas station or tourist office, with the number of the local archeologist and museum on the permit, they´ll even pay you a premium to let them record what you find. nything they want to keep, they pay you full value. That´s the last news that I had over Northern Italy. Southern Italy is a different game, and a lot of area´s are off limits, especially round the big sites. Check before you detect, or you might visit Italy longer than you planned.

 

[melvin_it]

Never had any issue with northern Italy, just prefer the south................................

Didn't knew such news from Northern Italy...must be some local (very local) agree with the Sovrintendenza and local foundations helding some site. Probably they allow people to search in the modern age battlefields they have, because the State doesn't really care for these finds and ain't no long period frequentation sites. A battlefield is a poor context anyway (no centuries marks of life but a one-day event in the History that's well described by documents. I can't believe they allow you hunting in the ancient sites because you can damage tre site stratigraphy who is the true keeper of the informational value of a site. Maybe they have some heavily plowed site they allow to hunt, I don't know. You may provide me some info more?


M.