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Four armed robbers stole millions in jewels from a French national treasure from the Hieron Museum in central France on Thursday. The museum is known for the collection of sacred art, including “Via Vitae” or “The Way of Life” by the Parisian goldsmith Joseph Chaumet.
According to ArtDependence Magazine, “The Way of Life,” worth $7.3 million and which traces the life of Jesus, was “almost entirely looted” during the armed robbery. The artwork has also been classified as a national treasure by France’s culture ministry.
The thieves reportedly arrived at the Hieron Museum in in Paray Le Monial, Burgundy, France on motorcycles at around 4 p.m. local time on Thursday. Three of the four armed robbers then entered the building and fired warning shots. The other robber stood guard outside.
In the ensuing panic, the robbers then used a chainsaw to cut open the armored windows containing “The Way of Life.” After gaining access to the artwork, the robbers stole its gold and ivory figurines and its emerald decorations.
The robbers then fled on their motorcycles and neutralized two police vehicles that were in pursuit by placing spikes across the road.
“This is a great loss for Paray-le-Monial and for national heritage,” said the local mayor, Jean-Marc Nesme.
The Guardian reports this is the third time since 2017 that the Hieron Museum has been targeted by robbers. Two gold crowns were stolen in 2017, and another attempted robbery took place in 2022.
Coincidentally, the day before the the Hieron Museum robbery, the Cognacq-Jay Museum in central Paris was also the victim of an armed robbery.
ARTnews reports four hooded men stole smashed a display case with axes and baseball bats in full view of museum visitors. They then fled on scooters, making off with five collector’s boxes and diamond-encrusted snuffboxes from the 18th century worth approximately $1.05 million.