An Italian police unit specializing in protecting the country's cultural heritage on Tuesday presented 37 artworks it had recovered, some of which had been stolen from churches in the aftermath of deadly earthquakes in central Italy. The artworks dated back to between the 16th and 20th centuries, and had been taken in 16 separate robberies over the past two decades.

The pieces have "inestimable historic, artistic, and religious value", the Art Squad, as the police unit is known, said in a statement. Among the most important pieces recovered were five altarpieces from two churches in L'Aquila, which were closed due to damage in a deadly 2009 earthquake from which the city is still recovering.