Gold, gems and Renoirs: France's museums grapple with a wave of thefts
PARIS — At a museum in eastern France, two men disguised with wigs used a sledgehammer and a hammer to smash a display case and make off with a 2,500-year-old gold necklace. The heist took under four minutes. In a smash-and-grab at another French museum, three masked robbers stole 27 pieces of jewelry valued at more than 4.5 million euros ($5.2 million), busting through two doors to break in.…
In eastern France, a pair of men, masked and disguised with wigs, executed a brazen robbery in under four minutes. Using a sledgehammer and a hammer, they smashed a display case and fled with a 2,500-year-old gold necklace. In a separate incident, three masked thieves targeted a French museum in July. Through the use of two doors, they successfully entered the premises, valuing the 27 pieces of jewelry they stole at over 4.5 million euros ($5.2 million).
This week, a heist on the French Riviera saw robbers breach a fence and climb through a window, stealing two paintings by the renowned Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. However, they left two other Renoir works as they fled. The wave of thefts, following the high-profile jewel heist at the Louvre last year, highlights France's complex relationship with its vast collection of art and artifacts.
The country's enduring love for paintings, sculptures, ancient relics, and other valuable items has fueled a passion that rivals its historical conquests, creative achievements, and financial endeavors.
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