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Thursday, August 27Thursday, August 27
Thieves stole the Treasure of Villena, one of Europe’s most significant Bronze Age gold collections, from the Villena Museum in southeastern Spain early Thursday, authorities confirmed. The heist occurred around 5:20 a.m., with intruders bypassing security systems and fleeing by 5:24 a.m., according to Villena’s mayor, Fulgencio Cerdán, and government officials .
Investigators suspect a coordinated diversion after a false alarm at a municipal sports center sounded at 5:16 a.m., minutes before the museum’s alarms were triggered. The thieves initially attempted to enter through the main door before forcing open a side window, despite reinforced glass and security systems, said Manuel Pineda, the Spanish government’s deputy representative in Alicante .
The stolen collection includes 59 pieces of gold, silver, iron, and amber, dating to around 1000 B.C., with a material value estimated at over €1.5 million. Among the items are 11 gold bowls, 28 bracelets, three bottles, and mixed pieces of amber and iron with gold. The thieves also took three crowns from a Virgin and Child statue held by the museum. Only three silver vessels, a bracelet, part of a staff’s decorations, and one of four crowns—dropped during the escape—remain, Cerdán said .
The Civil Guard and Judicial Police are reviewing surveillance footage, which captured the entire assault. Authorities described the operation as “super-fast and super-professional,” involving multiple individuals and vehicles. All security systems were activated, and officials denied any failure on the museum’s part .
The Treasure of Villena was discovered in December 1963 by archaeologist José María Soler and his team, hidden in a vessel buried in a dry riverbed in Villena. The first piece, a gold bracelet, was found in October 1963 on a construction site and initially mistaken for a truck part before being identified by a local jeweler, Carlos Miguel Esquembre .
The museum, known as MUVI, had relocated to a former flour factory in May 2024. The treasure is considered a protected cultural asset in Spain, with its historical value compared to the treasures of Mycenae’s royal tombs in Greece .
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Roban el Tesoro de Villena, uno de los más valiosos de la Edad de Bronce en Europa El Tesoro de Villena, uno de los conjuntos más valiosos de la Edad de Bronce en Europa y que alberga el museo de esta localidad alicantina (MUVI), ha sido robado la madrugada de este jueves, suceso que la Guardia Civil y la Policía Judicial ya están investigando, han confirmado a EFE fuentes municipales. Leer
expansion · about 1 hour ago
Gouden schat uit bronzen tijdperk in vier minuten uit Spaans museum gestolen Dieven hebben donderdagochtend een gouden schat uit een Spaans museum gestolen. Het gaat om een collectie van vooral gouden voorwerpen uit de bronstijd in Europa. Het is een van de waardevolste collecties in zijn soort uit dat tijdperk.
nu.nl · about 1 hour ago
Jaf istoric în Spania: Tezaurul din Villena, una dintre marile comori ale Epocii Bronzului din Europa, furat în mai puţin de 4 minute Tezaurul din Villena, unul dintre cele mai valoroase ansambluri de bijuterii din epoca bronzului din Europa, a fost furat în această dimineaţă de la MUVI, muzeul din această localitate din provincia Alicante. Datând din jurul anului 1000 î.Hr., tezaurul este format în principal din piese din aur.
digi24 · about 1 hour ago
Thieves loot Bronze Age gold artefacts from Spanish museum in four-minute heist While the treasures historical value is incalculable, the gold alone is worth around €1.7 million.
thejournal · about 1 hour ago
Jaf istoric: tezaurul de la Villena, furat dintr-un muzeu din Spania, în mai puțin de 4 minute Tezaurul de la Villena, o colecție de artefacte din aur considerată una dintre cele mai prețioase comori din Epoca Bronzului din Europa, a fost furat, joi, dintr-un muzeu din sud-estul Spaniei, potrivit primăriei din Villena, transmite AFP, conform Agerpres. „În jurul orei 05:20, alarma a fost declanșată la Muzeul Villena, iar „până la ora 5:24, …
hotnews.ro · about 1 hour ago
Roban en Alicante el Tesoro de Villena, uno de los más valiosos de la Edad del Bronce En pocos minutos los ladrones se han llevado gran parte de una colección datada hacia el año 1000 antes de Cristo
la vanguardia · about 1 hour ago
Thieves steal major Bronze Age treasure from Spanish museum The 3,000-year-old Treasure of Villena, considered one of Europes most significant prehistoric collections, was stolen from the Villena Museum in southeastern Spain early Thursday, with authorities investigating whether a false alarm at a sports center was used to divert security forces during the heist.
yenisafak · about 1 hour ago
Ellopták a bronzkor egyik legnagyobb aranykincsét Spanyolországban A rablás mindössze négy percig tartott. Villena kincseit, egy több mint 50 tárgyból álló aranygyűjteményt loptak el, melynek értékét 1,7 millió euróra becsülik.
hvg.hu · about 1 hour ago
Jaf fulger într-un muzeu din Spania. Un tezaur vechi de 3.000 de ani, furat în doar patru minute Tezaurul de la Villena, o colecție impresionantă de artefacte din aur din epoca bronzului, descrisă drept cea mai importantă descoperire de acest fel din Europa preistorică, a dispărut în urma unui jaf spectaculos comis în Spania.
adevarul · about 1 hour ago
Goldschatz von Villena aus spanischem Museum gestohlen
orf.at · about 1 hour ago
Thieves raid bronze age collection in super-fast Spain museum heist It is not immediately known how many of the 50-plus mainly gold objects from the Treasure of Villena were taken.
aljazeera · about 1 hour ago
Thieves steal Villena Treasure in under four minutes, one of Europes great Bronze Age hoards The thieves distracted security forces with a false alarm on the outskirts of Villena and stole the museums 59 prehistoric pieces in under four minutes.
euronews · about 1 hour ago
Tres encapuchados roban en cuatro minutos el Tesoro de Villena, una de las colecciones más valiosas de la Edad de Bronce en Europa El conjunto de orfebrería fechado hacia el año 1000 antes de Cristo está compuesto principalmente por piezas de oro que se exponen en el Muvi, el museo arqueológico de Villena, sin personal de seguridad de manera permanente Leer
elmundo · about 2 hours ago
Schatz von Villena: Einbrecher stehlen Goldschatz aus spanischem Museum Ein schneller Einbruch ins Museum und nach ein paar Minuten wieder raus: Die Einbrecher in Alicante wussten genau, wo sie ihren Goldschatz heben mussten. Aus historischer Sicht ist das Diebesgut von einiger Bedeutung.
faz · about 2 hours ago