The essay explores the legal status of human remains that arouse cultural interest. Through the analysis of several cases—such as that of the ‘Cesare Lombroso’ Museum of Criminal Anthropology in Turin—the category of ‘human cultural property’ is examined from three main perspectives. Firstly, the essay investigates the reasons why, upon death, human bodies are legally transformed into ‘things.’ Secondly, it analyses the limits imposed by the ‘human’ nature of these things on the potential reinterpretations they may undergo, as exemplified by the challenge of reconciling the sentiment of piety towards the deceased with a museum display of remains used in the past to theorise the alleged biological roots of criminal behaviour. Finally, the essay delves into the issue of the restitution of human remains, focusing on cases where such actions aim to achieve a ‘reparative’ function.
University of Siena, Italy - ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2589-7008
Book Title
Beni culturali umani
Book Subtitle
Reificazioni, risignificazioni, restituzioni
Authors
Gianfranco Orlando
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
138
Publication Year
2024
Copyright Information
© 2024 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press, USiena Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0553-5
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0552-8
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0553-5
eISBN (epub)
979-12-215-0554-2
Series Title
Strumenti del Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza di Siena