The Italian news agency Ansa has reported on the intensification of efforts aimed at the return of the Parthenon Sculptures currently housed in the British Museum to Athens.
“The international debate on the return of the marbles to Greece was reignited, in part thanks to Italy, particularly Sicily, which paved the way in 2022,” Ansa noted. The agency referenced a pivotal decision three years ago by Alberto Samonà, then the cultural heritage adviser for the Sicilian regional government, to return the “Fagan Fragment.” This piece, part of the eastern frieze of the Parthenon, had been housed at the Salinas Museum in Palermo as part of the archaeological collection of British consul Robert Fagan. Samonà’s initiative ensured the fragment’s rightful place at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
The return of the fragment was made possible through direct dialogue with Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni and collaboration between Acropolis Museum Director Nikolaos Stampolidis and then-director of the Salinas Museum, Caterina Greco. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed gratitude to Italy and Sicily for this gesture. One year later, the Vatican followed suit, with Pope Francis donating three additional Parthenon fragments from the Vatican Museums to Greece.
In a statement reported by Ansa, Alberto Samonà commented on the latest developments:
“The day when the Parthenon Sculptures will finally return to Athens is approaching. I can proudly say that, thanks to our initiative, the international conversation about returning the sculptures, which were removed from the masterpiece of Phidias, gained new momentum. In a world filled with conflict and division, the path forward is precisely one of international cooperation and partnership in the name of culture, which has always carried a message of dialogue and peace.”
Source: ANA-MPA / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
