Bronze Age hoard, Egyptian diamonds: String of museum heists throughout August shake Europe

Nearly a year after the infamous Louvre heist shocked the world, a new series of museum thefts across Europe has raised concerns in the art and antiquities world about the rising phenomenon.

On Tuesday, four paintings were stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, and in mid-August, four paintings by Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina in the painter’s hometown.

Last month, the pan-European police body Europol said that art thieves in Europe are committing more violent robberies and specialist gangs have been replaced by ad hoc ​opportunists recruited through social media.

But the recent heists have not only been of priceless paintings, but of artifacts as well.

Treasure of Villena

On August 27, thieves in Spain entered the Villena Museum (MUVI) and stole the majority of the Treasure of Villena, a collection of Bronze Age artifacts often described as one of the most significant prehistoric European finds.

The collection is made up of 66 artifacts of gold, silver, iron and amber. The gold artifacts including 11 bowls, three bottles and 28 bracelets.

It was originally discovered in 1963 by Spanish archaeologist José María Soler.

The theft happened “in a matter of minutes,” Villena Mayor Fulgencio Cerdán said during a press conference following the robbery.

He explained that the robbery took place around 5:20 a.m., with the thieves believed to have left the museum approximately four minutes later.

While most of the treasure had been taken, Cerdán noted that three silver vessels, a bracelet, some ornamentation of the bastón del reyezuelo, and the “Kingfisher staff.”

The stolen gold pieces are estimated to be worth €1.7 million, according to media reports.

“We are absolutely devastated,” Cerdán said. “I am shaking. The truth is that, for those of us from Villena, this destroys us. It is part of our heritage and part of our wealth and of what we feel proud of.”

Following the theft, MUVI stated in a social media post that it has temporarily closed its doors to the public, but will announce a reopening date as soon as possible.

“The MUVI's pieces and collections are not just heritage: they are shared memory, part of everyone's history,” the museum wrote. “We have full confidence in the ongoing investigations and the professionalism of the State Security Forces.”

Queen Nazli’s diamond necklace

That same day, two unmasked men smashed a display case at Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) and stolen a diamond necklace worth over $4 million.

It had been featured at the MAK as part of an exhibition titled “GLANZSTÜCKE: Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewelry × Masterpieces from the MAK Collection.”

According to Austrian state broadcaster ORT, the unmasked thieves bought tickets to the exhibit prior to the robbery and commited the theft during the museum’s opening hours.

Police added that the two then “fled with the piece of jewelry in an unknown direction.”

Photographs and CCTV footage of the suspects have been shared by police, and has since been added to INTERPOL’s Stolen Works of Art database.

The museum noted in an August statement that it would not be sharing information regarding the investigation into the robbery.

Belonging once to Queen Nazli of Egypt (1913-1936), the second wife of King Fuad I, the necklace is adorned with 673 diamonds and weighs about 200 carats.

It, and a matching tiara, had been commissioned by Nazli for the wedding of her daughter Fawzia to, the at the time Iranian Crown Prince and later Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.