The "Fano Athlete" and the importance of underwater cultural heritage

While this story does not specifically deal with the activities of commercial salvors, Jason Felch of the Los Angeles Times reports that new documents have come to light concerning a unique piece of underwater cultural heritage: the "Getty Bronze" or "Fano athlete," an ancient Greek bronze statue often attributed to Alexander the Great's court sculptor, Lysippos. It is likely that the statue was lost when a ship transporting it from Greece to Rome sank. In 1964, the statue was recovered by a fisherman working in international waters in the Adriatic Sea. It was brought to shore in Fano, Italy, but was not reported to customs officials. The statue was instead smuggled out of the country and was purchased by the Getty Trust in 1977. The Getty Bronze is an excellent example of what kinds of artifacts have come to rest on the sea floor as a result of centuries of shipwrecks, as well as an example of the wide variety of artifacts encompassed by the term "underwater cultural heritage."

At the conclusion of the article, Felch refers to the importance of the bronze to the local community of Fano, and also mentions an Italian judge's declaration that the statue is "a part of Italy's cultural patrimony, despite the short time it spent in that country." According to a recent New York Times article on the statue, Stefano Aguzzi, Fano's mayor, has stated, "The statue and its discovery has become part of our culture and folklore." Aguzzi, in addition to numerous Italian authorities, has requested the return of the statue to Italy. As a part of their enthusiasm for the sculpture, residents of Fano have named businesses, a newspaper, and a local sailing race after Lysippos. A replica of the bronze sits at the entrance to the city's port. The Getty Museum, however, insists that no real connection exists between the Greek statue and the Italian town.

While claims that the statue is an intrinsic part of Fano's cultural heritage may seem tenuous due to the fact that it is unlikely that the statue ever resided there in ancient times, the affection for the statue expressed by the residents of Fano illustrates how underwater cultural heritage can be adopted by local communities as a part of their identity. This capacity for communities to sense connections to underwater cultural heritage provides strong evidence for its ongoing protection.

Jason Felch, A twist in Getty Museum's Italian court saga, Los Angeles Times, January 14, 2010

Elisabetta Povoledo, Italy Presses Its Fight for a Statue at the Getty, New York Times, January 15, 2010

Getty Museum, Victorious Youth

Image from the Los Angeles Times