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Passing on unwanted gifts could be considered somewhat rude – unless it's done for a noble purpose.

A Philanthropic Auction

Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction around 270 items bestowed upon her by foreign dignitaries during her travels. This unusual assortment reportedly features gifts including a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of exotic blue snake-skin shoes with gilded heels.

The collection, collectively, are worth an estimated €800,000. They are scheduled to be put up for sale via competitive bidding by a Rome-based fine art auction house. An exact timeline is yet to be set, although the goal is to hold the auction during the holiday season, with the revenue going to a selection of charitable causes.

Palazzo Chigi Collection

These gifts are currently kept in a repository on the third floor of Palazzo Chigi. Sources state that Meloni is also planning to auction off gifts received by her political forerunners that have been stored away over a long period.

The full gift list is yet to be disclosed, but a glimpse were revealed earlier this year when an 11-page list of official presents was submitted to lawmakers. The question raised if a statutory cap on gift value was being honored. By law, a prime minister cannot take home presents worth more than €300.

A Global Assortment of Presents

The collection includes:

• A silk accessory from the leader of Albania, allegedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A customary Indian garment from the Indian leader.
• A set of adornments from the Slovakian president.
• A porcelain tea set and a selection of wines from Hungary's leader.
• A ceramic bowl from the ex-American leader.
• A electronic pad from the Ukrainian president.
• Artworks from the Moldovan government.
• Additional objects including cosmetics, a skateboard, and several rugs received during trips to Libya and other Arab nations.

"Perhaps the strangest gifts were the statuette from Milei and the exotic footwear," reports suggest.

Diplomatic Context

Supporters have applauded Meloni, mostly from her own political sphere, with building relationships with global statesmen and re-establishing Italy as a key protagonist on the global scene once again.

The forthcoming sale highlights a distinct method to manage the diplomatic artifacts that build up during a leader's tenure.