Thieves have stolen one of Europe's most important prehistoric gold collections in a brazen four-minute raid on the Villena Museum in Alicante, Spain. The treasure of Villena, a stunning collection of 59 Bronze Age artefacts dating back to around 1000 BC, was taken in the early hours of Thursday morning. The hoard includes 29 bracelets, 11 bowls, three bottles, and other gold, silver, iron, and amber pieces weighing nearly 10 kilograms.

Villena's mayor, Fulgencio Cerdán, said with a breaking voice: "This destroys us. It's part of our heritage, of our wealth." This was an example of a well-thought-out plan of action that included a distraction method. The alarm in the city's sports centre was set off at 5:16 AM, drawing police attention away from the museum. Four minutes later, an alarm went off at the museum.

A town council spokesperson said: "This was a super-fast and super-professional operation." The perpetrators broke in through a back window after failing to force the door open. Three golden crowns of the Virgin and Child, three silver containers, one bracelet, and some decorations for a ritual stick's head were left behind, alongside one crown that "fell off" the thieves as they fled.

The treasure was discovered in 1963 by archaeologist José María Soler in a vessel buried in a dry riverbed. Its historical significance is priceless, but its gold content alone is estimated at approximately €1.7 million ($1.9 million). This theft ranks among the most spectacular museum robberies in Europe. Spanish police are currently investigating the robbery with no arrests made as yet.