PARIS, October 5. /TASS/. One of the world’s most expensive and heaviest books, Joseph Foret’s "Apocalypse" featuring a hefty bronze-plated cover designed by Salvador Dali, has been stolen from a private museum in the commune of Issoire in central France, the Ici radio reported.

"This is a grandiose, masterful work with no equivalent anywhere in the world. Tonight, France suffered a death, the death of cultural heritage," the book’s owner, Christian Karoutzos, told the radio station.

The book was displayed at the town’s contemporary art center, which was also founded by Karoutzos. It was stolen from there overnight on October 4-5. The circumstances of the theft have not been disclosed. The Clermont-Ferrand gendarmerie was tasked with investigating the incident.

The work was created between 1958 and 1961 by gallery owner Joseph Foret, with the blessing of Pope John XXIII, based on the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, also known as "Apocalypse." Around 15 of the best-known artists and writers of the time, including Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, Bernard Buffet and Ossip Zadkine, contributed to the work. The book weighs 210 kg in total, with the Dali-created bronze cover weighing 150 kg.

When the book was published, it was valued at 100 million old francs. In 2003, Karoutzos bought it at an auction in Japan for "several million euros," regional newspaper Ouest-France reported.