Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Met to return disputed art to Italy

New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Italian Culture Ministry agreed Monday on a deal to return six disputed antiquities in the Met collection that Italy says were illegally taken out of the country, the ministry said.

In exchange, Italy is expected to provide long-term loans of equivalent works of art.

A signing ceremony between Met chief Philippe de Montebello and Culture Minister Rocco Buttiglione was scheduled for Tuesday.