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Passing on undesired presents can be seen as a little discourteous – unless it's done the right way.

A Philanthropic Auction

The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, plans to auction an estimated 270 items bestowed upon her by world leaders during her travels. This unusual assortment is said to contain gifts including a chainsaw-wielding statuette of Argentina's leader Javier Milei and a pair of blue python skin shoes with gold heels.

These items, together, are worth an estimated €800,000. They are scheduled to be sold in a public auction by a Rome-based fine art auction house. A date remains to be announced, but the aim is to conduct the sale during the holiday season, with the proceeds going to a selection of charitable causes.

Palazzo Chigi Collection

The items reportedly stored in a storage room on the upper level of Palazzo Chigi. Sources state that Meloni is also planning to auction off gifts received by her preceding prime ministers that have been sitting unused for years.

A complete inventory remains made public, but some insight were revealed earlier this year when a comprehensive document of all declared gifts was presented in parliament. The query centered on whether a statutory cap on gift value was being respected. By law, a prime minister is not permitted to keep presents valued above €300.

A Global Array of Gifts

Notable gifts feature:

• A woven wrap from the Albanian prime minister, allegedly presented to Meloni for her birthday during a meeting abroad.
• A traditional Kerala dress from India's prime minister.
• A box of jewellery from the president of Slovakia.
• A fine china tea service and a selection of wines from Hungary's leader.
• A ceramic bowl from the former US president.
• A tablet from the Ukrainian president.
• Paintings from the Moldovan government.
• An assortment including cosmetics, a board, and numerous carpets from trips to Libya and other Arab nations.

"Maybe the most unusual gifts were the statuette from Milei and the blue python skin shoes," observers have said.

Political Backdrop

The prime minister has received praise, particularly from her own political sphere, with winning over international counterparts and positioning Italy as a key protagonist on the global scene once again.

This charitable initiative represents a novel approach to manage the state presents that build up during a time in office.