A group of armed men they assaulted the Hiéron Museum of Sacred Artin Paray-le-Monial, France; taking away jewelry valued in millions of euros, local authorities reported.
The robbery occurred on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. local time. Four criminals They arrived on motorcycles; three entered the museo with helmets on, while one kept watch outside, as confirmed by Mayor Jean-Marc Nesme.
During the assault, the robbers fired several shots and used a chainsaw to break the armored glass that protected “The Way of Life“, a masterpiece by the goldsmith Joseph Chaumet, valued between 5 and 7 million euros. Several gold and ivory figurines were taken, along with emerald ornaments.
As they fled, they threw nails on the asphalt to stop the gendarmes who were pursuing them, which shows that they had everything planned, the police said.
The mayor regretted the theft: “It is a great loss for Paray-le-Monial and for the national heritage.” Although no one was injured, the 20 visitors and museum staff were “traumatized”, some managed to take refuge in a nearby house.
This is not the first theft at the museum, known for its collection of sacred art. In 2017 and 2022 it had already been the target of similar attempts.