with messages on London And British museum reunion ceremony from three fragments of the ParthenonWhere they returned from the Vatican to the Acropolis Museumlast Friday, March 24th. Reunion of fragments this comes about 10 months after the final return of the Phagan fragment from the archaeological museum of Antonino Salinas in Sicily.

“These two initiatives, these two actions point the way in all directions. How can its integral members be reunited in the Parthenon, healing the wounds inflicted by barbaric hands many years ago,” the Minister of Culture said in her greeting. Lina Mendoniwhich was accepted yesterday Pope Francis.

In the same vein, Archbishop Jerome of Athens noted that “by this act the truth of things is restored” and wished that the Pope’s initiative “found other imitators.”

It seems that the Ecumenical Patriarchate also played a role in the reunification of the fragments. As Ms. Mendoni mentioned, the Patriarch, before the official request was sent from the Acropolis Museum (12/21/2021), sent his representative to the Pontiff, and the two hierarchs discussed this issue at a meeting in Athens on December 4, 2021. . The fragments have returned to their usual home,” said Bishop Brian Farrell, adding that people will see in this movement an expression of a common hope that “our different cultures, art itself can always be a privileged medium of dialogue and meeting between peoples.” “.

Fragments attributed to the site include the head of a man in a mantle (mantle) – the only one found in good condition – belonging to stone V of the northern frieze of the Parthenon, the head of a bearded man attributed to the southern metope 16 Centauromachy, and the head of a horse attributed to the pediment of the Parthenon. The head of a horse, of course, worries archaeologists about the pediment, east or west, to which it ultimately belongs. As he told “K” Director General of the Acropolis Museum Nikos Stampolidis (03/19/2023), the head is related to the horses of Helios from the eastern pediment, but all four of them already exist. Until the research around the head was completed, the sculpture was placed next to two originals and a plaster cast of three horses belonging to the chariot of the Moon (east pediment).

The return of the fragments is the second, after the Fagan fragment, the return of the Parthenon sculptures from one state to another. It is interesting, however, that the gesture of Pope Francis was made as a religious leader. The audience for the message of reunification is not those who live on the border of the Vatican and Greece, but millions of Catholics.