Getty Museum faces potential return of Lysippos' Victorious Athlete after Strasbourg ruling
In a unanimous decision, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has supported Italy's appeal to bring back the Victorious Athlete of Fano, a bronze statue found in 1964 near Fano, Italy. This decision may establish a precedent akin to the 2011 return of the Venus of Morgantina from the Getty Museum. The Getty, which purchased the statue in the 1970s, is now facing increased demands for its return, as the Italian Ministry of Culture invokes the 1970 UNESCO Convention aimed at preventing the illicit trade of cultural artifacts. Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano has proposed Fano as a suitable site for the statue's relocation. The ruling from Strasbourg remains provisional, with further updates anticipated.
Key facts
- European Court of Human Rights unanimously voted for repatriation of Victorious Athlete of Fano to Italy.
- The statue was discovered in 1964 off the coast of Fano, Italy.
- The Getty Museum in Malibu currently holds the statue.
- The ruling parallels the 2011 return of the Aphrodite of Morgantina from the Getty to Sicily.
- The Aphrodite of Morgantina was illegally excavated from Morgantina, Sicily, and sold in Lugano.
- The Getty acquired the Aphrodite in the 1980s under curator Marion True.
- Italy's Ministry of Culture used the 1970 UNESCO Convention to pursue returns.
- Visitor numbers for the Aphrodite in Aidone dropped from 50,000 in 2011 to under 22,000 in 2014.
Entities
Artists
- Lysippos
Institutions
- Getty Museum
- European Court of Human Rights
- Italian Ministry of Culture
- UNESCO
- Archaeological Museum of Aidone
- Artribune
Locations
- Fano
- Malibu
- Morgantina
- Sicily
- Lugano
- Aidone
- Italy
- Strasbourg