France: Armed Robbery at a Museum of Religious Art – Persecutors Robbed Gold-Elevant Statues With Gems · Global Voices

Tragic to . Unknown gunmen invaded a religious art museum and escaped with many million euros. About the armed robbery at the religious art museum “Jeron” in Burgon, in central-eastern France, the country’s media are talking about “a major loss to national heritage”. A valuable work of art, worth several million euros, was looted by the perpetrators on Thursday (21.11.2024), in a robbery, apparently very well planned. The work “Via Vitae”, or “Route of Life” was crafted by Parisian goldsmith, Joseph Klome in the early 20th century. In 2005 he was purchased by a community to join the collections of the “Jeron” museum and become the focus of his exhibition. He’s three meters tall. On his podium, on a mountain made of alabaster and grey – blue pyre, 138 gold – ivory statuettes relate nine scenes from Jesus ’ life. The project also includes gemstones such as diamonds and rubies. The value of the “Route of Life” is estimated at 5 – 7 million euros. According to city mayor Burgon, Jean-Mark Nesm, the perpetrators went on bikes Thursday afternoon to the museum. Wearing hoods and gloves, three of them entered the building, which was open to the public at the time while the fourth kept watch outside. “At least one was armed with something that looked like an automatic weapon,” Macon’s prosecutor Ann-Liz Firstos said, filling in that she “may have fired once”, without anyone getting hurt. “Semerals and diamonds stolen” As soon as they entered, the bandits headed for the work that has been described as a “national treasure” by the Ministry of Culture. They cut the protective glass with a saw saw and removed most statuettes, as well as the decorations of emeralds and diamonds. They also cut and took with them the top of the mountain, in which two female figures held a restaurant, adorned with diamonds and rubies. Within minutes the “business” was completed and the perpetrators escaped. To escape the police cars that followed them threw nails into the asphalt, indicating that they had prepared their robbery very well, he commented a source of local police. Macon’s prosecution initiated an investigation into an armed robbery by an organized gang and informed the Central Office of the fight against the trafficking of cultural goods. The “Jeron” museum is one of the oldest religious art museums in France. Another robbery had been made in 2017, with the perpetrators stealing two crowns, works by goldsmith Paul Brinet. An attempt to rob had also been made in September 2022.