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A Canadian tourist has returned artifacts that she stole from the ancient Italian city of Pompeii 15 years ago, claiming they were cursed.
The tourist, who identified herself only by her first name, Nicole, sent a letter of apology and a package that contained two mosaic tiles, parts of an ancient vase, and ceramic fragments to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. In the letter, Nicole confessed that she took the artifacts back in 2005, when she was still in her early 20s. She explained that she wanted to have a piece of history all to herself.
Since stealing the artifacts, Nicole said she experienced a large number of personal struggles, including serious health and financial problems. She blamed her bad luck on the stolen artifacts, saying that they contained negative energy. She hopes that by returning the things she stole, she will get rid of the misfortunes that had befallen her.
According to one official, although the artifacts were returned to the ancient city, they could no longer be placed back in their original spot in the ruins. The official explained that their exact location before the theft was unknown.
This is not the first time a tourist claimed to have been cursed after taking something from the city. For years now, visitors have been returning stolen artifacts to Pompeii. They claim that they experienced an unnatural amount of bad luck after stealing the items from the site. A collection of some of the returned artifacts, along with some letters, has been put on display at the site. Officials hope that the fear of being cursed will deter people from stealing items from Pompeii.