A valuable marble fragment of significant historical importance has been repatriated to Greece from Chile, following a heartfelt initiative by a Chilean citizen.
The fragment measuring 8.2 by 11.4 centimeters, features the upper portion of an engraved palmette motif flanked by lotus flowers and dates back to the 6th century BCE.
The artifact had been in the possession of a Chilean citizen whose family reportedly acquired it in the 1930s. According to his account, it originated from the Acropolis in Athens. Earlier this year, moved by Greece’s ongoing efforts to recover the Parthenon Sculptures from the British Museum, he contacted the Greek Embassy in Santiago, expressing his desire to return the piece.
“For Greece, the repatriation of every cultural object that has been illegally exported brings us immense joy and satisfaction,” said Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni.
She emphasized the Ministry’s belief that all antiquities removed unlawfully from any country must be returned to their place of origin, to the people to whom they rightfully belong.
“The protection of cultural heritage can only be achieved through cooperation, mutual assistance, and understanding,” Mendoni added. “Respecting and promoting it is both a national responsibility and a global moral obligation.”
The repatriation of the small marble fragment was the result of close collaboration between the Directorate for Documentation and Protection of Cultural Property at the Ministry of Culture and the Greek Embassy in Santiago.
The artifact was handed over to the Ephorate of Antiquities of Athens, whose experts examined it and identified it as part of an archaic temple that once stood on the sacred rock of the Acropolis—likely from the Hekatompedon, a monumental structure 100 feet long, built during the reign of Pisistratus (Peisistratos) around 570–550 BCE, as referenced in ancient inscriptions.
