The Amelia Conference:
ARCA’s Annual Interdisciplinary Art Crime Conference

Conference Dates – June 19 – 21, 2026
Conference Sessions – Collegio Boccarini Conference Hall
Adjacent to the Museo Civico Archeologico e Pinacoteca Edilberto Rosa
Amelia, Italy 

Each summer, professionals from around the world gather in the beautiful town of Amelia, Italy, the seat of ARCA’s summer Postgraduate Certificate Programmes in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection to take part in ARCA’s flagship event: the Amelia Conference. Taking place from June 19 to 21, 2026, this three-day event offers a focused and engaging platform to examine the realities of art and antiquities crime and the protection of cultural heritage.

Hosted in the historic Collegio Boccarini adjacent to the Museo Civico Archeologico e Pinacoteca Edilberto Rosa, the conference helps support  ARCA’s wider postgraduate teaching programmes.

The weekend begins on Friday evening with a welcoming cocktail reception. Designed as an informal entry point into the conference, this event allows participants to arrive, settle in, and begin conversations that will continue throughout the weekend. It is as much about community as it is about content.

From Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon, the conference shifts into a series of structured sessions addressing key challenges facing the field today. Topics will span investigative practices, legal frameworks, trafficking networks, market dynamics, and the broader policy environment shaping cultural property protection.

The Amelia Conference distinguishes itself through its interdisciplinary approach. It brings together voices from across sectors, including law enforcement, academia, museums, international and grassroots organisations, as well as those representing actors in the art market. This format encourages open discussion, critical reflection, and the exchange of differing perspectives in a professional and respectful setting.

This year’s programme will feature a mix of presentations and panel discussions, some of which may take a more interactive or debate-oriented format.

Confirmed presentation titles and presenters will be added to this page as accepted speakers confirm their attendance. 

Conference Attendee Profile:

The 2026 conference is open to attendees from different disciplines, practitioners, and policy-and-decision-makers, as well as anyone with an interest in the protection of art and the complexity of art crimes. Registration for the event will remain open until June 15, 2026 subject to space limitations.

Conference Registration Fees for 2026:
€170 for both days’ sessions for professionals, includes icebreaker cocktail.

€110 for both days’ sessions for university students providing proof of current enrolment in an academic program, includes icebreaker cocktail.

€90 for both days’ sessions for university students providing proof of current enrolment in an academic program.

All registration fees include entry to all conference panel sessions plus complimentary morning and afternoon refreshment breaks with coffee, juice, and light pastries on Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon.   

FINAL NOTE
ARCA is a small civil society organisation.  Due to our extremely limited operational budget, all participants and presenters attending the Amelia Conference are responsible for their own registration fees, travel and accommodation expenses travelling to, and while in, Italy.