Bronze Age gold hoard stolen from Villena museum in rapid early-morning raid
Around 50 gold and other metal artifacts from the Bronze Age Treasure of Villena were taken from the town museum in Spain within minutes early Thursday, authorities said.
Police said thieves entered the Villena Museum in the Alicante province shortly after an alarm sounded at 5:20 a.m. on Thursday and left the building by 5:24 a.m., taking the majority of the Treasure of Villena, a collection of more than 50 bronze-age objects.
The museum’s spokesperson said all security systems were triggered and that there was "no failure" on the part of the museum. Deputy government representative Manuel Pineda added that the thieves appeared to have entered through a window and that a separate alarm at a nearby sports centre may have been a diversion.
Mayor Fulgencio Cerdán told reporters that the stolen items include 29 bracelets, 11 bowls, three bottles and other pieces made of gold, silver, iron and amber, dating to about 1,000 BC. He estimated the gold alone is worth roughly $2 million.
The Treasure of Villena was uncovered in 1963 by archaeologist José María Soler in a vessel recovered from a dried-out riverbed. The loss follows a series of recent museum thefts across Europe, including a 2023 Louvre robbery and recent thefts of artworks in Italy and France.