Ralph Pezzullo's book, The Great Chinese Art Heist: Imperialism, Organized Crime, and the Hidden Story of China's Stolen Artistic Treasures, chronicles significant art heists across Europe with a focus on artifacts from China. The book examines the intriguing history leading to these thefts and details audacious robberies such as the break-in at the Château de Fontainebleau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This location, beloved by historical figures like Napoleon Bonaparte, became a crime scene that highlighted the ongoing issue of art thefts long after events like the Boxer Rebellion.
In his new book, journalist and podcast host Ralph Pezzullo chronicles a number of heists that took place all over Europe and focused on artifacts from China. The Great Chinese Art Heist: Imperialism, Organized Crime, and the Hidden Story of China's Stolen Artistic Treasures explores both the daring thefts themselves and the centuries of history that led up to these thefts.
More than a century after the Boxer Rebellion in China, the museum break-ins in Europe didn't end with the arrests of the Rathkeale Rovers, those Irish social outcasts who had most likely never set foot in a Bund or a proper British club.
This was the second time in three years that thieves broke into a royal European residence. As dramatic as the 2012 break-in at the Drottningholm Palace had been, the robbery at Château de Fontainebleau was even more audacious.
After all, the Château de Fontainebleau was one of the most famous monuments in France and a popular site for tourists worldwide.
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