Top Protected Artefacts In Europe

There are countless iconic possessions across the globe that we’d all love to see in real life. Although these valuable items hold a strong history, they have become integrated in modern society and even became the focus of some of our favourite heist movies — think Jonny English. We’ve also witnessed epic sting scenes in Ocean’s 8 and Black Panther!

Although we seem to love these types of plots, you’re probably questioning the security of some of these famous items. Here, cloud CCTV storage specialists 2020 Vision, look at some of the most famous artefacts across Europe and whether they’re being properly protected!

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1. The Mona Lisa

Everyone knows about the Mona Lisa, while some of us may have been lucky to visit it in real life. Although the piece holds no artist signature, it is accredited to Leonardo da Vinci and was thought to be created between 1503 and 1517.

The painting is known to be the most visited in the world and attracts six million visitors each year. It has held the highest insurance valuation in history, which stood at $100 million in 1962. Today, it’s worth around $821,746,666.67, making it one of the most valuable items in the world.

Historically speaking, the painting entered King Louis XIV’s collection in 1518 and after the French Revolution, it was moved to the Louvre. Although this location was deemed the most secure place for the piece, it was stolen in 1911.

When it went missing

As the painting was a big attraction, Louvre staff did not realise the painting was missing for hours as they assumed it was being photographed for advertisements. Louis Béroud, another French painter, came to the conclusion that it had been taken.

Investigations were taken out by local authorities. As a result, the museum was required to close for one week. There were many suspects on the list, which included Guillaume Apollinaire and Pablo Picasso — both of them were later cleared.

Vincenzro Peruggia was later found to have stolen the piece when he tried to sell it to a museum in Florence. When the painting was originally stolen from the Louvre, he hid in a broom closet with it until the museum closed and walked out with it under his coat. It’s described as one of the greatest thefts in the 20th century. Peruggia was jailed for six months, after claiming it was an act of patriotism for his home country. The painting returned to its home in Paris.

The situation today

Today, the painting is protected by bulletproof glass that is around two centimetres thick. As well as this, the painting is held in a sealed box to reduce the impact from vibrations and humidity. When visiting, tourists are also separated by a queue barrier!

The Louvre is home to 70,000 square meters of museum, which of course needs monitored at all time. To achieve this, there is a 24-hour surveillance, access control systems and intruder-detection technology which prevents any theft taking place ever again…

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2. Sweden’s Crown Jewels

When you hear of the ‘Crown Jewels’, your mind will travel to the Tower of London and how heavily protected they are. However, the same can’t be said for the jewels in Sweden. In August 2018, two crowns and a royal orb which previously belonged to King Charles IX of Sweden and his wife, Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, were stolen.

The heist which took place didn’t seen entirely organised. The two thieves walked into the cathedral where they were held at midday and smashed their glass boxes to retrieve them. Once the alarms went off, the thieves fled the scene.

The pair escaped on bicycles and then used a motorboat through Stockholm’s archipelago. However, the thieves were soon tracked down because of blood left at the crime scene and the jewels were partly recovered. These jewels, which are made from the noblest metals and the gold value of which is worth around £43,000, would have been difficult to sell down, as government authorities led a manhunt to track them down.

Not the first time

This type of incident has happened before though. In 2012, a 19-year-old refugee pretended to be a family friend of the Royal Family and stole £73,700 worth of jewels — but sold them only for £730 to drug dealers for marijuana. As well as this, the thief also reportedly stole a £30,350 tiara and threw it off a bridge.

This should never have happened and proves that the cathedral does not have the correct security systems in place. They should introduce walk-through security frames, visitor searches and more security staff.

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3. The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom

Almost everyone is familiar with the United Kingdom’s Crown Jewels, but luckily, they haven’t experienced any drama like Sweden’s. According to the government, there are over 23,000 delicate stones and 140 objects, with an estimated value of £3bn.

These possessions are used for Coronations and State Opening ceremonies and are only allowed to be removed by the Lord Chamberlin himself — armed police must be present too!

Protected by over 20 Tower Guards, they are locked away in the Tower of London and are sealed with a bombproof glass box. As the location welcomes tourists, they are highly monitored with over 100 hidden CCTV cameras across the site.

As well as this, there are almost 40 Yeomen Warders who are ex-military. They manage the number of people who are on site and also live there!

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