Pope Francis has announced plans to return the 2,500-year-old Parthenon marbles held at the Vatican Museums to Greece.
The three fragments at the Vatican include a head of a horse, a head of a boy and a bearded male head. They have been in the Vatican’s collection since the 19th century.
The Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens was completed in the fifth century BC. The pieces will be returned to Archbishop Ieronymos II, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church and Greece’s spiritual leader.
In a statement, the Vatican said the pope is returning the marbles as a “donation” and “a concrete sign of his sincere desire to follow in the ecumenical path of truth”, reports the Associated Press.
The Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports expressed gratitude for Pope Francis’ “generous” decision and said it hopes the move will put pressure on the British Museum to return its holdings of the Parthenon marbles.
Vatican’s return puts pressure on British Museum
In a statement dated 3 December, the British Museum said it has “publicly called for a new Parthenon partnership with Greece and we’ll talk to anyone, including the Greek government about how to take that forward”.
“As the chair of trustees said last month, we operate within the law and we’re not going to dismantle our great collection as it tells a unique story of our common humanity,” it added.
“But we are seeking new positive, long term partnerships with countries and communities around the world, and that of course includes Greece.”
Elsewhere, London’s Horniman Museum and Gardens is returning a total of 72 artefacts, including 12 Benin bronzes, to their place of origin in Nigeria.
The move also puts pressure on the British Museum to follow suit. Meanwhile, Egyptians are calling on the British Museum to return the 2,200-year-old Rosetta Stone.
Image: Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports
