Italy's culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, has refused a request by the German State Antiquities Collection in Munich to return an ancient Roman statue, known as the Discobolus Palombara. The statue is a 2nd-century Roman copy of a long-lost Greek bronze original that portrays an athlete throwing a discus. The statue had been purchased by Adolf Hitler in 1938 from its private Italian owner, under pressure from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. The statue, which was originally unearthed at a Roman villa in 1781, was returned to Italy in 1948 as part of works illegally obtained by the Nazis.

However, the dispute arose when the director of the National Roman Museum requested the return of the statue's 17th-century marble base from the Antikensammlungen state antiquities collection in Germany. In response, the German museum requested the return of the Discobolus Palombara, arguing that it had been illegally transported to Italy in 1948. Minister Sangiuliano expressed doubts whether the German culture minister, Claudia Roth, was aware of the Bavarian request, remarking in a lighthearted tone, "they'll have to step over my dead body."

He strongly criticized the German request, describing it as "inadmissible." Sangiuliano emphasized that the statue was obtained fraudulently by the Nazis and is an integral part of Italy's national heritage. He expressed the hope that the marble base would be returned. The refusal by Italy's culture minister to return the ancient Roman statue highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the repatriation of cultural artifacts obtained through questionable means. It raises important questions about the rightful ownership and preservation of cultural heritage, particularly in cases involving objects connected to dark periods in history, such as the Nazi era. The outcome of this dispute will have significant implications for the future of cultural exchange and restitution between nations.