A very special lady known as the Aidone Aphrodite or the Venere di Morgantina leaves California for Sicily today. The fifth century BC statue, whose story is here, is, at last, coming home and will arrive in Sicily some time between tomorrow and Friday.
The statue is travelling in three pieces and on 21st March experts from the Getty Museum will fly to Sicily to put her back together.
Her presence is likely to change the town of Aidone, where a special place is being prepared for her at the Museum, forever as it will become a major tourist attraction. A joint ticket for the mosaics at Piazza Armerina, the archaeological site of Morgantina and the Aidone Museum is already being planned.
The lady has an as yet unspecified date with President Napolitano and I can't wait to go and welcome her home myself!
