Hundreds of looted antiquities returned to Greece

2023-05-20T18:08:39.818Z

Highlights: After 17 years of litigation, Greece has finally won its case, and will finally be able to recover no less than 351 antiquities held by a trader. Among the most notable in the collection: a statuette carved in white stone dating from 4,000 BC, or a bronze statue representing a young Alexander the Great dating from the second half of the second century. Greece also hopes to obtain the return of the Parthenon friezes that are in the British Museum in London.

This is the epilogue of a long legal battle. After 17 years of litigation, Greece has finally won its case, and will finally be able to recover no less than 351 antiquities held by a trader...

Hundreds of looted antiquities returned to Greece

A man takes a photo of a sculpture of a horse, March 24, 2023. This fragment from the Parthenon was returned to Greece by the Vatican. Fragments of the monument are scattered in several major museums around the world. Greece also hopes to obtain the return of the Parthenon friezes that are in the British Museum in London. AP - Petros Giannakouris

Text by: RFI Follow

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This is the epilogue of a long legal battle. After 17 years of litigation, Greece has finally won its case, and will finally be able to recover no less than 351 antiquities held by a British art dealer. The announcement was made on the night of Friday to Saturday by the Ministry of Culture. Treasures dating from the Neolithic to the Byzantine period.

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Among the most notable in the collection: a statuette carved in white stone dating from 4,000 BC, or a bronze statue representing a young Alexander the Great dating from the second half of the second century.

Treasures held by British art dealer Robin Symes Limited - a key figure in the antiquities trade also involved in tomb looting in Italy and investigated since 2006.

A victory for Greece, which is now fighting to recover its heritage scattered in museums and private collections in the 4 corners of the globe.

🔙Εκατοντάδες αρχαιότητες της εταιρείας Robin Symes επαναπατρίζονται

➡️Αγάλματα, ειδώλια, γλυπτά, αγγεία, κοσμήματα, σκεύη και εξαρτήματα, που χρονολογούνται από τους νεολιθικούς έως τους πρώιμους βυζαντινούς χρόνους.

🔗https://t.co/P6Mx19unlX#MinCultureGr pic.twitter.com/cYr6BhfuvB

— Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού (@cultureGR) May 20, 2023

The last restitution dates back to last March.

This time, 3 fragments of the Parthenon kept by the Vatican for more than two centuries were finally repatriated to Greek soil.

" READ ALSO – The Vatican returns to Greece fragments of sculptures of the Parthenon

The Greek authorities' next objective: to obtain the return of the Parthenon friezes currently on display at the British Museum in London.

But this time, the negotiation promises to be more difficult: because if Greece believes it has been plundered, London claims for its part that the friezes were legally acquired in 1802.

Hundreds of looted antiquities returned to Greece

Hundreds of looted antiquities returned to Greece

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