Italy bans loans to Minneapolis Institute of Art because of long-running dispute over ancient statue

ROME (AP) — Italy’s Ministry of Culture has banned art loans to the Minneapolis Institute of Art in the United States following a long-running dispute over an ancient marble statue believed to have been looted from Italy almost a half-century ago. The dispute began in March 2022 when an Italian court ruled that the museum was irregularly in possession of the Stabiae Doriforo. The statue is a Roman-era copy of The Doryphoros of Polykleitos which is an ancient Greek sculpture. Italian prosecutors say the statue was believed to have been looted from Italy in the 1970s. A spokesman for Italy’s Culture Ministry confirmed the ban on Wednesday. The museum says it has always acts “responsibly and proactively” with respect to claims related to its collection.