Academic cancelled over supporting Britain’s claim on the Elgin Marbles warns of ‘dogma’ ruling museums

An academic and archaeologist who was cancelled for supporting Britain keeping the Elgin Marbles has issued a warning over “dogma” ruling museums.

Speaking to GB News, Dr Mario Trabucco Della Torretta revealed he was disinvited to speak at a gala dinner in Athens because of his views.

He claimed organisers at the Acropolis Museum objected to his appearance due to his campaign to keep the marbles in the British Museum.

Speaking about the controversy, Dr Trabucco Della Torretta said: “Apparently, I am not particularly welcome by the board of the museum, who, whenever they heard that I was supposed to be the speaker, basically vetoed my appearance.”

“That’s why I was hastily disinvited with a thousand apologies, but basically told that I could not be part of that dinner.”

He explained that he had originally been invited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

The academic said the backlash against him demonstrated what he described as a worrying culture of ideological conformity within the heritage sector.

“If you get somebody who is not on board with the main narrative, just walking around, even with its mere presence polluting the sanctity of that particular narrative — but this is not what the museum is,” he said.

“A museum is supposed to be a scientific research institution, but actually the clash of ideas is exactly what makes it so valuable.”

Dr Trabucco Della Torretta argued that historical disputes should be settled through evidence and open discussion rather than political pressure.

“We can have a debate that is based on facts and based on proofs, based on historical evidence, instead of just using propaganda slogans,” he said.

“And the one-way assumptions are dogmas — and that’s exactly what they are doing. That’s why, in a way, it is important to call it out.”

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Dr Trabucco Della Torretta warned that the incident reflected a growing intolerance towards dissenting views in cultural institutions, claiming museums were increasingly abandoning debate in favour of “dogma”.

The row centres on the long-running dispute over the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures, which were removed from Athens by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century.

Greece has repeatedly demanded their return, arguing the sculptures were unlawfully taken during Ottoman rule. However, Dr Trabucco Della Torretta rejected that claim outright.

“The Greek claim is basically bogus, because it’s made on the assumption that they were stolen, which is completely false and unsupported by the extant historical documentation,” he said.

“We have the grant of permission, even in translation. We have plenty of witnesses at the time who were in Athens, who saw this permission in the original, and who say Lord Elgin was empowered to do whatever he did because of this permission.”

The archaeologist also argued that the marbles had since become deeply embedded within British cultural life and should remain in London.

“They are now an integral part of British culture and a fundamental asset of the British Museum,” he said.

“You cannot break another cultural asset, another cultural collection that has had such a profound impact on our cultural history and in Western