[MSN] Greece - Burglars stole a 700-year-old Byzantine madonna icon

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Athens - Burglars stole a 700-year-old Byzantine madonna icon from a 
convent on the southern Greek peninsula of Peloponnese, the nuns 
discovered Friday.

Police said the theft was the work of 'professional burglars.' With the 
Elona convent being located on a slope, the thieves had used a 30-metre 
rope to enter the building through a window.

The icon is estimated to be worth more than 2 million euros (2.5 million 
dollars) on the black market, Greek radio reported.

The icon, which is around 50 centimetres in height and 40 centimetres in 
width, shows Mary holding the infant Jesus.

Police have mounted an extensive search, erecting road blocks in the 
surrounding area. There is as yet no trace of the thieves, sources said.

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