Italian
Work has begun in Thessaloniki by the joint team formed following the agreement signed in Athens last June. At the centre are fragments of Attic vases from illegal excavations
ROMA (ITALY) – Today, at the National Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, a joint team of Italian and Greek specialists began studying and restoring a series of archaeological fragments. The working group was set up following the mission to Athens by Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli on 19 June, during which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Head of the Department for the Protection of Heritage of the MiC, Luigi La Rocca, and the Director General for Antiquities and Cultural Heritage of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Olympia Vikatou.
The agreement provides for collaboration aimed at the recovery, protection and enhancement of artefacts of great historical and artistic value. In particular, the focus is on fragments of Attic red-figure vases from illegal excavations and illicitly held. Studies and restoration work will make it possible to establish their precise provenance, so that they can be definitively returned to Italy or Greece, as appropriate.
The initiative is not limited to restitution: the aim is to launch joint research, protection and dissemination activities, strengthening cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Eight specialists – archaeologists and restorers – from the Directorate-General for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, the Central Institute for Archaeology and the Central Institute for Restoration are participating on the Italian side. Scientific coordination is entrusted to Professor Maria Chiara Monaco of the University of Basilicata.
This project represents a concrete step in the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property and a virtuous example of international collaboration for the safeguarding of our common heritage.
