Palermo Fragment facts for kids

Fragment from a Parthenon frieze, known as the Palermo fragment, at the Salinas Archaeological Museum, Palermo

The Palermo fragment, also known as the Fagan slab, is a small piece of an ancient Greek marble sculpture. It is about 2,500 years old! This fragment shows the foot and part of the dress of the goddess Artemis. It was once part of a long sculpture called a frieze, which decorated the famous Parthenon temple in Athens, Greece.

The fragment got its name, Fagan slab, from Robert Fagan, a British consul and artist who owned it. For a long time, this special piece of art was kept in the Salinas Archaeological Museum in Palermo, Sicily.

The Journey of the Palermo Fragment

The Palermo fragment has traveled a lot over the centuries. It was originally part of the Parthenon in ancient Greece.

From Athens to Sicily

In the early 1800s, a British nobleman named Lord Elgin removed many sculptures from the Parthenon. These sculptures are now often called the Elgin Marbles. Lord Elgin gave this particular fragment to the British Consul in Sicily in 1816. After that, it stayed in the Salinas Archaeological Museum in Palermo for about 200 years.

Returning Home to Greece

Greece always wanted its ancient artworks back. For 13 years, Greece worked to get the Palermo fragment returned. On September 24, 2008, something special happened. The President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, sent the fragment to Athens. This was a temporary loan at first.

This loan was a big step. It showed support for Greece's request to have all the Elgin Marbles returned from the British Museum in London. Finally, in 2022, the Palermo fragment was permanently returned to Greece. It is now in the Acropolis Museum in Athens. There, it has been reunited with other parts of the Parthenon frieze.

What is the Parthenon Frieze?

The Parthenon frieze is a long, sculpted band that once wrapped around the top of the inner walls of the Parthenon temple. It showed a procession of people, horses, and gods. This procession was likely part of a festival honoring the goddess Athena. The Parthenon frieze is a very important example of ancient Greek art.