Armed robbers made a daring robbery of the Hieron Museum in the French Municipality of Pare-Le-Monal. The criminals abducted jewelry from the well -known Via Vitae sculpture, which is classified as the national heritage of France.
The robbery happened on Thursday at 16:00 local time. According to the mayor of the city of Jean-Mark Nesme, three armed criminals entered the museum while the fourth stood on the outside. The robbers made a few shots, scaring visitors and staff, after which they concentrated on the main exhibit of the museum - Via Vitae sculpture.
Via vitae is a three -meter work created in 1904 by Jeweler Joseph Som. It is made of precious metals, inlaid with diamonds, rubies and ivory, and depicts scenes from the life of Christ. Sculpture is considered one of the most valuable in the collection of the Hieron Museum.
The robbers sprayed armored glass with a special tool and pulled out of the exhibit of a figure of gold and ivory, as well as decorations with emeralds. The total cost of the damaged and stolen is estimated at € 7 million.
At the time of the attack, the museum was about 20 visitors and staff who were shocked by a violent invasion. The criminals acted quickly and rigidly, leaving the psychological mark on the attendees.
After the abduction, the robbers fled on motorcycles. During the escape, they used spikes to damage the tires of the cars that pursued them, complicating the pursuit of the police.
The Museum of Hieron, one of the oldest sacred art establishments in France, is not the first time a target for criminals. In 2017, two golden crowns were stolen here, and in 2022 another attempt at robbery was recorded.
Mayor Jean-Mark Neshay called for strengthening security measures around the museum and expressed his hope that the police would be able to promptly find the malefactors and return the stolen jewelry.
