The J Paul Getty Museum announced yesterday it had reached an agreement with Italy over the return of 40 disputed antiquities, including a prized statue of the goddess Aphrodite.Italian officials have long maintained that artefacts held by the Los Angeles museum were among a haul of antiquities looted from the country.

In a joint statement, the Italian Culture Ministry and the Getty announced the pieces would be returned, marking an end to a bitter dispute between the two and the latest victory in Italy’s global efforts to recover allegedly looted treasures sold to museums worldwide.

The museum will return fewer artefacts than the 46 Italy initially demanded and the fate of a handful, including the hotly disputed Getty Bronze, which held up negotiations, remains in doubt.

Read full article (Daily Telegraph, August 2, 2007)
Read press release “Italian Ministry of Culture and J. Paul Getty Museum Trust Reach Agreement”