London (AFP)

A massive gold toilet by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was stolen Saturday at the Blenheim Palace, causing extensive damage in the imposing baroque castle of southern England classified as World Heritage by Unesco, police said British.

A 66-year-old man was arrested but the precious toilet was not found "for the moment," according to local police.

Baptized "America", the work in 18-carat gold includes seat, bowl and flush operational. Its value is estimated at around one million pounds (1.13 million euros).

It was a key piece of the exhibition dedicated since Thursday to the iconoclast Maurizio Cattelan in the 18th century palace in Oxfordshire.

By the end of the exhibition on October 27th, thousands of visitors could have relieved themselves in this restroom after booking a three-minute slot. A work presented as egalitarian by the 58-year-old artist: "the art of 1% (including the richest people on the planet) for the other 99 percent".

The thieves "broke into the palace during the night and left the scene around 04H50 (03H50 GMT)," said police in a statement.

"Since the toilet was connected to the plumbing of the building, it caused significant damage and flooding," said Inspector Jesse Milne.

Police believe thieves have used "at least two vehicles" to commit their mischief. Saying she had no knowledge of other works that were stolen, she said at a press conference that she was going to analyze the images of surveillance cameras.

- No guard -

The "America" ​​toilets had been exhibited for the first time at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, where they had been used by some 100,000 people between September 2016 and summer 2017.

The WC had been talked about when US President Donald Trump was offered on loan by the New York museum, after the conservative refused to make available a painting of Vincent Van Gogh, as had asked the White House.

"We knew there was a lot of interest in Maurizio Cattelan's contemporary art exhibition," responded Blenheim Palace in a statement posted on Twitter. "It is therefore really unfortunate that such a precious object has been stolen".

The Blenheim Palace belongs to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and saw the birth of the British statesman Winston Churchill.

In August, the brother of the Duke and founder of the Blenheim Art Foundation, Edward Spencer-Churchill, said he did not provide any special supervision for these toilets.

"It will not be the easiest thing to steal," he said in The Times. "First of all, it's plumbing, and then a potential thief will have no idea who used the toilet last or what he ate, so no, I do not plan to do it. keep".

The castle will reopen Sunday after being closed to the public on Saturday. Designed by British architect John Vanbrugh, it welcomes more than a million visitors each year, according to its website. He had been offered by Queen Anne to the First Duke of Marlborough after his victory over the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704.

© 2019 AFP