The Vatican announced the return to Greece of three fragments from the Parthenon’s frieze and metope, which since the 19th century had been kept in the collections of the Vatican Museums.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports announced that: “The ‘donation’ by Pope Francis to Archbishop Hieronymos is a spiritual and fraternal papal gesture to the Orthodox Church of Greece.”

“Following the definitive restoration of the Fagan fragment to the east frieze of the Parthenon, the three fragments housed in the Vatican are returned to their places in the Acropolis Museum. The Ministry of Culture and the Acropolis Museum had oral and written agreements with the Holy See and the Vatican Museum. We welcome today’s decision by Pope Francis”, said the Director General of the Acropolis Museum, Prof. Nikolaos Chr. Stampolidis.