Italian treasures that were found in Chicago, including letters written by popes and kings, will be returned to Italy, U.S. FBI officials said Monday.

At a press conference at Chicago's FBI headquarters, FBI officials showed some of the stolen religious relics and documents which included a hand written manuscript by Benito Mussolini.

The items were found at a home in Berwyn in the north part of Chicago. The value of the items was estimated at between 5 million and 10 million U.S. dollars, said FBI spokesman Ross Rice.

All of the items are believed to have been stolen from Italy in violation of their cultural property laws, officials said.

Berwyn Police Chief William Kushner said he had never seen a home like this in 33 years on the force.

"There was stuff all over the house in boxes. The most valuable stuff from the Vatican was on the second floor in the attic," he said. "It just goes to show you, you never know what you'll find in a bungalow."

More than 3,000 religious artifacts, books and antiquities were found in a Berwyn bungalow in March 2007 after the owner's death.

After a two-year investigation by Berwyn police and the FBI, officials determined that many of the items were removed illegally from Italy and will be returned later this week, officials said.

Source: Xinhua