Major Villena museum theft: Bronze Age treasure taken within minutes
Thieves stole much of the Treasure of Villena from the town’s museum on 27 August. The Guardia Civil obtained camera footage of a raid involving several people and vehicles.
The raid took place early on 27 August at the Museo de Villena, known as MUVI, in Alicante province. Government representative Manuel Pineda, mayor Fulgencio Cerdán and the Guardia Civil said the thieves entered through a side window and left within minutes. Europa Press recorded their accounts at that day’s press conference. The security centre received the alarm at 5.23am; officers arrived to find the objects missing.
Indoor and outdoor cameras had recorded the theft. The Guardia Civil’s Alicante investigators took charge and examined footage showing several people and vehicles. EFE, citing sources close to the investigation, reported that initial inquiries pointed to three masked people.
Archaeologist José María Soler and his colleagues discovered the collection in 1963. It comprised 66 objects made of gold and other materials, dating from around 1000 BC. According to EFE, the treasure contained almost ten kilos of gold, including bowls and bracelets. Mayor Cerdán said only a small part of the collection had been left behind.
