Des tables royales à une forêt autrichienne : le stupéfiant vol de la Salière en or de Cellini qui a ébranlé Vienne en 2003
In the early hours of May 11, 2003, a thief scaled scaffolding around the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, broke a first-floor window, and stole the Saliera, a gold and enamel salt cellar by Benvenuto Cellini. The alarm triggered but security guards, accustomed to false alarms from ongoing renovations, did not respond in time. The theft was discovered the next morning, leaving only shattered glass behind. The Saliera, created around 1543 for King Francis I of France, is the only intact goldsmith work by Cellini and a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, valued at tens of millions of euros.
The theft sent shockwaves through Austria and the art world, as the Saliera was one of the museum's most iconic pieces, often called the "Mona Lisa of sculptures." Its global fame made it impossible to sell on the open market, raising fears the thief might melt it down for its gold. The incident exposed critical security lapses during museum renovations and highlighted the vulnerability of even the most celebrated artworks. The case remains one of the most significant art thefts in Austria since World War II.