University of Virginia to Return Sculptures to Italy

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—The University of Virginia will return two ancient Greek sculptures to Italy, the Associated Press reports. Tomb raiders looted the artworks, acroliths of Greek goddesses dating back to about about 525 B.C., from Sicily about 30 years ago, and the works have been bought and sold on the black market since 1978. In 2002, the university's museum received the sculptures as a gift from a donor, whose name the university has not revealed (although the last owner is thought to be New York diamond merchant and philanthropist Maurice Tempelsman). In a deal endorsed by the Italian government, the university agreed to keep the works for five years and then return them to Italy. They'll go on display at a museum in Aidone. "We're very pleased and grateful and happy to be getting these magnificent statues back," said Silvia Limoncini, a cultural counselor of the Italian Embassy in Washington. "It's an example of the excellent relationship between Italy and the United States."