The fragment of the Parthenon leaves the Salinas Museum in Palermo to return to Greece and from Athens, in exchange, a statue and an amphora arrive. It is a cultural agreement of international importance that Sicily has signed with Greece, which provides for the transfer to Athens of the fragment of a slab belonging to the eastern frieze of the Parthenon, currently kept in the Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo. It is the so-called «Fagan Artifact», a Pentelic marble fragment depicting the foot of either the Goddess Peitho or Artemis (goddess of the hunt) seated on a throne. An agreement, wanted by the regional councilor for cultural heritage, Alberto Samonà, shared with the Greek minister of culture and sport, Lina Mendoni, which for Hellenic culture has a strongly symbolic value: in this way, Sicily is, in fact , as a forerunner on the theme of the return to Greece of the Parthenon finds, giving his decisive contribution to the debate that has been going on for some time worldwide.
The agreement according to Italian law
The agreement, signed according to Italian law, provides that for a period of 4 years, renewable only once, the Salinas will transfer the fragment belonging to the Parthenon to the Acropolis Museum in Athens, currently preserved in Palermo as part of the archaeological collection of the English consul Robert Fagan, purchased by the Royal University of Palermo in 1820. In exchange, two very important artifacts from the collections of the Acropolis Museum will arrive in Palermo, each for a period of four years: it is an important headless statue of Athena, datable to the end of the 5th century BC, and of a geometric amphora from the first half of the 8th century BC. An agreement that also provides for the organization of joint initiatives that will be carried out in partnership by the two museums on themes of cultural interest of international scope.
Previous
In the past there have already been discussions aimed at the return to Athens of the fragment of the Parthenon frieze and in particular between 2002 and 2003, on the occasion of the State visit to Greece of the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and in view of the realization of the Olympics in Athens in 2004, the debate on the restitution of the artifact was opened.