Vatican returns Parthenon sculptures to Greece

The Vatican has returned 3 fragments of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece successful a determination that has been described arsenic a "gesture of friendship".

The determination to instrumentality the 2,500-year-old marbles was announced by Pope Francis past year.

One is simply a chunk of a horses head, the different a bearded antheral and the 3rd a caput of a boy.

Greece hopes the determination volition spur different overseas institutions that clasp Parthenon sculptures to instrumentality them.

"The ceremonial today... akin to the motion by the authorities of Sicily and the Republic of Italy a fewer months ago, shows the roadworthy that we could follow, that everyone could follow, successful bid for the unity of the Parthenon to beryllium restored," Greece's civilization curate Linda Mendoni said connected Friday.

As the marbles were returned, dignitaries exchanged manus shakes and smiled successful beforehand of the cameras, including the person of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymous.

"My idiosyncratic heartfelt privation is that this inaugural is mimicked by others. Pope Francis showed that this is imaginable and significant," helium said.

The marbles had been successful the papal postulation and Vatican Museums for centuries.

But Greece has been trying to retrieve them from the Vatican and different European collections since the opening of the 20th century.

In the aboriginal 1800s dozens of marbles were taken from Greece's Parthenon connected the orders of Scottish nobleman Thomas Bruce, known arsenic Lord Elgin.

He past sold the marbles to the British government, who past displayed them successful the British Museum.

About 50% of the Parthenon's archetypal sculptures person survived and astir fractional of them are successful the British Museum.

The British Museum is prevented by instrumentality from permanently returning the artworks to Greece.

But determination was speculation that a woody could impact the sculptures heading to Athens connected indebtedness successful rotation, successful instrumentality for classical objects that person ne'er been seen extracurricular Greece before.