THE ART NEWSPAPER
By Gareth Harris
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| The disputed tombs Xavier Zapater Lleida Museum |
Unrest has broken out at the Lleida Museum in western Catalonia after Spanish law enforcement officers entered the institution [yesterday] morning. The move is the latest development in a long-running restitution saga centered on 44 religious artifacts housed at the museum, which have become a symbol of Catalonia’s bid for independence. The disputed pieces were removed from the Monasterio de Santa Maria de Sijena in neighboring Aragon under the post-war dictatorship of General Franco, and deposited in Catalonian institutions. Some objects have been returned but religious items, including medieval sarcophagi, remained at Lleida Museum. A spokeswoman for the museum tells us that “the objects are packed and will leave the museum today”. The Spanish ministry of culture declined to comment. [
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