kenb
Bronze Member
FBI recover priceless map stolen from National Library
9 October 2007
MADRID - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has located an ancient world map stolen from Spain's National Library along with other extremely valuable documents in August, the daily El Pais reported Tuesday.
The map torn from a 16th-century edition of Ptolemy's Geographia was found in the possession of a New York collectioner, the daily quoted sources of the National Library as saying.
The identity of the collectioner was not given. It was not known whether he or she was aware that the map, which is valued at about 100,000 euros (140,000 dollars), was stolen.
A total of 12 pages of maps and other valuable documents were torn from books in Spain's National Library, one of the country's most important cultural institutions, in August.
The theft prompted the resignation of library director Rosa Regas.
Police now believe the thief was an Uruguayan citizen whose real identity has not yet been clarified, according to El Pais.
The man, who pretended to be a historian, visited the library between 2004 and 2007. He managed to smuggle in a small knife.
The stolen documents included another world map by Ptolemy, which has reportedly been located in Australia, though police have not yet confirmed the information.
Ptolemy was a Greek geographer, astronomer and mathematician who lived in the 2nd century. dpa st tis ds
kenb
9 October 2007
MADRID - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has located an ancient world map stolen from Spain's National Library along with other extremely valuable documents in August, the daily El Pais reported Tuesday.
The map torn from a 16th-century edition of Ptolemy's Geographia was found in the possession of a New York collectioner, the daily quoted sources of the National Library as saying.
The identity of the collectioner was not given. It was not known whether he or she was aware that the map, which is valued at about 100,000 euros (140,000 dollars), was stolen.
A total of 12 pages of maps and other valuable documents were torn from books in Spain's National Library, one of the country's most important cultural institutions, in August.
The theft prompted the resignation of library director Rosa Regas.
Police now believe the thief was an Uruguayan citizen whose real identity has not yet been clarified, according to El Pais.
The man, who pretended to be a historian, visited the library between 2004 and 2007. He managed to smuggle in a small knife.
The stolen documents included another world map by Ptolemy, which has reportedly been located in Australia, though police have not yet confirmed the information.
Ptolemy was a Greek geographer, astronomer and mathematician who lived in the 2nd century. dpa st tis ds
kenb
