Vatican returns piece of ancient sculpture

The Vatican returned a fragment of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece on Wednesday in a move that is likely to increase pressure on the British Museum to return its own priceless sculptures from the ancient temple. The fragment, returned for a one-year loan is one of three in the Vatican Museum's huge collection of antiquities.

It was returned after a request by the late Greek Orthodox Archbishop Christopoulos at a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. "This is a gesture from one of the most important museums in Europe," Greek Culture Minister Michalis Liapis said. "It should be seen as an example for other museums to follow to return the Parthenon Marbles."

The Vatican's fragment measures 24 by 25 centimetres and depicts the head of a man carrying a tray.

Just over a month ago Italy returned a small piece of the Parthenon Marbles housed in a museum in Palermo, Sicily.

But for years Greece has called on Britain to hand back the fifth century BC sculptures currently housed in a special gallery at the British Museum.

The friezes, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were removed from the Acropolis by Britain's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Lord Elgin, more than 200 years ago.

The 2,500-year-old sculptures, depicting 160 meters of religious and mythological scenes, have been held by the British Museum since 1816 after they were sold by Elgin.

The British Museum has so far refused to return them, insisting that the transaction was legal as Elgin obtained permission to remove them from Greece's then rulers, the Ottoman Empire.

The Elgin Marbles comprise roughly half the 160 metre frieze which adorned the temple of Athena on the Acropolis, completed in 432 BC as the crowning glory of Athens' Golden Age.

Greece has called for their return ahead of the completion of a 100-million-euro museum at the foot of the Acropolis, which will open to the public next year .

Sweden, Germany and Italy have returned pieces taken from the Acropolis, but many artefacts are still being held in collections in Denmark, Germany, Austria and France.

Giandomenico Spinola, head of the Vatican Museum's classical antiquities department, said it was too early to say whether the loan would be renewed.

06.11.2008