Thieves stole, during the early hours of Thursday morning, most of the Villena Treasure, a Bronze Age goldsmith collection considered one of the most important archaeological finds in Europe. The Guardia Civil and Municipal Police are investigating the robbery, which, according to initial evidence, was carried out in a coordinated and planned manner by professionals. The material value of the stolen items could exceed 1.5 million euros.
The collection, discovered in 1963 and composed of 59 objects corresponding to 66 individual pieces of gold, silver, iron, and amber, constitutes one of the most important treasures of the European Bronze Age. The theft occurred in a museum in Andalusia, a region in southern Spain. Authorities are still assessing the full extent of the theft and attempting to recover the stolen items.
