Acropolis of Athens

Greece on March 24 welcomed the return of ancient artifacts from the Acropolis, furthering a campaign to press the British Museum to hand back a collection of sculptures taken from the ancient site in Athens more than 200 years ago.

Acropolis Museum Director Nikolaos Stampolidis points to a sculpture of a horse's head that is one of three fragments from the Parthenon frieze returned to Greece by the Vatican Museums in the form of a "donation" by Pope Francis to Archbishop Ieronymos.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ruled out changing a law which prohibits the British Museum handing the Parthenon marbles permanently back to Greece.

Sunak said there are no plans to amend the legislation, which states the museum can only dispose of objects within its collection in limited circumstances. However, the museum could still arrange a loan of the sculptures.

The chairperson of the British Museum has said is it "worth trying" to work with Greece to see if the Parthenon Sculptures "can be seen both in London and Athens, while treasures currently in Greece could be seen by new audiences here." 

Three fragments of the Athens Parthenon, hosted for centuries in the Vatican collections and museums, will be returned to Greece after the Greek Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, signed the donation protocol in Rome on March Tuesday.

The Vatican and Greece were finalizing a deal Tuesday for the return of three sculpture fragments from the Parthenon that have been in the collection of the Vatican Museums for two centuries, the latest case of a Western museum bowing to demands for restitution.

It appears to be only a matter of time, specifically of weeks, for the return and placement in the Acropolis Museum of the three Parthenon fragments, which Pope Francis 'donated' to Archbishop Ieronymos last December.

Achieving an agreement for the permanent return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece by the British Museum "is difficult, but not impossible," said Culture Minister Lina Mendoni in Parliament on Monday, reiterating the government's stance that she says "remains national, unanimous, consistent and clear."

In the last few months there have been encouraging signs that what Cavafy might have termed "mia kapoia lysis" to the vexed question of the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens might be found.

Greece will continue to demand the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens and their reunification with the Parthenon, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said on Friday, responding to recent comments by her British counterpart that returning the sculptures would "open a can of worms."