Seven men aged 19 to 42 were arrested as part of the survey by the Nancy prosecution (initially entrusted to the prosecution of Mâcon) on the theft of the work of Joseph Chaumet, Via Vitaeproduced in 1904 and classified “National Treasury”, in the Hieron Museum (Paray-le-Monial). Five of the seven men were placed in pre -trial detention and two more judicial control.
After an additional survey carried out by the search section of the gendarmerie of Dijon, the upper part of Via Vitae was drafted in the Arroux river, under a bridge in Gueugnon, about 20 km from Paray-le-Monial. This upper part, which represents a sun and damaged in certain places, had been hidden in a bag and then thrown into the water. The rock crystal symbolizing the Trinity is missing in its center.
Joseph Chaumet (1852-1928), Via Vitae (1904) “Chemin de Vie”, Hieron Eucharistic Museum.
The robbery of the Hieron Museum took place in the middle of the day on November 21. Three of the thieves, who came on a motorcycle, entered the masked museum. After firing shots in the air and sawn the protections surrounding the monumental work of an estimated value of 5 to 7 million euros, they dismantled via Vitae and took over gold and ivory statuettes as well as emerald decorations that compose it. They then left the work mutilated and fled by throwing nails on the road to prevent the gendarmes from continuing them.
The figurines in ivory and solid gold and emerald remain to date.
The Hieron Museum in Paray-le-Monial.
