(ANSA) - ROME, JANUARY 05 - It is the foot of a Goddess, Peitho or Artemis, with the marvelous draperies of her dress that is depicted in the fragment of the Parthenon frieze that flew from Sicily to Greece thanks to a cultural agreement that is of extraordinary international importance. ANSA anticipates the details of the agreement. Signed according to Italian law, the agreement provides that for a period of 4 years, renewable once, the Salinas will transfer to the Acropolis Museum in Athens the 'Fagan Artifact' fragment belonging to the Parthenon, currently preserved in Palermo as part of the archaeological collection of the English consul Robert Fagan, purchased by the Royal University of Palermo in 1820. In exchange, two very important finds from the collections of the Acropolis Museum will arrive in Palermo.each for a period of four years: it is an important headless statue of Athena, datable to the end of the 5th century BC, and an amphorageometric from the first half of the 8th century BC
A gesture, wanted by the regional councilor of the Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, Alberto Samonà, shared with the Greek laministra of Culture and Sport, Lina Mendoni, which for Hellenic culture has a highly symbolic value: in this way, Sicily does, in fact, as a forerunner on the return to Greece of the Parthenon finds, giving its decisive contribution to the debate that has been going on for some time at world level. '' The collaboration agreement with the Acropolis Museum of Athens - underlines the commissioner Samonà - will also allow us to set up common cultural initiatives of great depth and international relevance that will give the right visibility to our Region ". '' Overall -explains Minister Mendoni - the intention andaspiration of the Sicilian government to permanently repatriate the Fregiopalermitano to Athens, does nothing but reconfirm and strengthen even more the long-standing cultural and brotherhood ties of the two regions ''. And he adds: "With this gesture, the Government of Sicily indicates the way for the definitive return of the Parthenon sculptures to Athens, the city that created them".
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