The world-renowned Louvre Museum in Paris was forced to close its doors after a brazen daylight robbery that saw thieves make off with jewels of "inestimable value" from the museum's collection. The dramatic heist, which unfolded around 9:30 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, has prompted a major investigation by French authorities and left the cultural world stunned.
According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, the sophisticated operation involved multiple perpetrators who used a cherry picker to gain access to the museum through a Seine-facing window. The thieves forced open the window using disc cutters, smashed through display cases in the prestigious Galerie d'Apollon, and escaped on motorcycles within approximately seven minutes. "This was manifestly a team that had done scouting," Nuñez told France Inter radio, describing it as a "major robbery."
Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed that investigations were underway and announced her presence at the scene alongside museum teams and police officials. The Louvre issued a statement on social media declaring that the museum would "remain closed today for exceptional reasons." The Interior Ministry has launched forensic work at the site and is compiling a precise inventory of the stolen artifacts.
According to reports from Le Parisien newspaper, the criminals specifically targeted the museum's Napoleon and Empress jewelry collection, successfully stealing nine pieces from this priceless assemblage. The thieves exploited ongoing construction work on the museum's Seine-facing facade to gain entry to the former royal palace. Early investigative findings revealed that one of the stolen items, believed to be Empress Eugénie's crown, was discovered broken outside the museum grounds, suggesting the hurried nature of the escape.
The Galerie d'Apollon, where the theft took place, houses a carefully curated selection of the French Crown Jewels and represents one of the museum's most treasured collections. This gallery has historical significance dating back to the reign of Louis XIV and contains artifacts that embody centuries of French royal heritage and craftsmanship.
This latest incident adds another chapter to the Louvre's long and storied history of thefts and attempted robberies. The most infamous case occurred in 1911 when Vincenzo Peruggia, a former museum worker, stole the Mona Lisa by hiding inside the building and walking out with Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece concealed under his coat. The painting was recovered two years later in Florence, and the theft paradoxically helped establish the Mona Lisa as the world's most famous artwork.
More recently, in 1983, two Renaissance-era pieces of armor were stolen from the Louvre and remained missing for nearly four decades before being recovered. The museum's collection also bears the complex legacy of Napoleonic-era acquisitions that continue to fuel modern restitution debates with various countries seeking the return of cultural artifacts.
The Louvre stands as the world's most visited museum, housing over 33,000 works that span human civilization from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to classical antiquity and European masters. Beyond the Mona Lisa, the museum's star attractions include the Venus de Milo sculpture and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The institution regularly welcomes up to 30,000 visitors daily, making security a constant challenge for museum officials.
As forensic experts continue their work and investigators pursue leads, the closure represents a significant disruption to both tourists and the international art community. The theft highlights the ongoing vulnerability of even the most secure cultural institutions and raises questions about protecting irreplaceable cultural heritage in an age of increasingly sophisticated criminal operations.
