A young tourist, whose name remains unknown, sent a handful of pumice stones and a letter to Italy apologizing for stealing the stones during a trip to the ancient city of Pompeii.
The woman writes that she did not know these stones were cursed, but within a year of bringing these stones into her home, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
‘I didn’t know about the curse. I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to take stones there. Within a year I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I am a young and healthy woman and the doctors said it was just bad luck. Please accept my apology and these pieces of stones. I’m so sorry”.
The Italian city of Pompeii was buried under a thick layer of ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It was only discovered by accident in the 16th century and excavations began in the 18th century.
Now this city is actively visited by tourists, who are strictly forbidden to take historical artifacts there and tear down pieces of the walls.
The tourist’s letter was published online by Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, with the following note: “Dear anonymous sender of this letter, the pumice stones have arrived in Pompeii. Good luck in the future.”
This isn’t the first time tourists have brought stolen ancient objects back to Pompeii, believing them to be cursed.
In 2020, a Canadian woman named Nicole sent a package to Italy containing two mosaic tiles, parts of an amphora and a piece of pottery she had stolen in Pompeii.
Nicole, who traveled to Pompeii in 2005, said she brought them back after they brought her “15 years of bad luck”. She wrote a confession letter describing her theft and the setbacks that followed, including two cases of breast cancer and financial problems.
“Please take them back, they are bad luck,” Nicole wrote.
She explained that she brought the artifacts because she wanted to own a piece of history that no one else had, but that they contained “so much negative energy associated with this land of destruction.”
According to Gabrielle Zuchtriegel, they received hundreds of similar apology letters from thieving tourists throughout the period. Many of them also referred to the curse.
“Many people write to us about the so-called curse and tell us about the misfortunes they suffered at work and during illness: these are moving and sad things. Many write about returning items stolen as children, these are thefts that took place decades ago.”