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Louvre museum closed as officials confirm burglary
The Louvre, one of Paris’ most iconic attractions, was burglarized Sunday morning as tourists were already inside. Videos: @whatyouthinktom and @gregraspoutine via Storyful
The Louvre was burglarized Sunday morning less than a half hour after doors opened, French officials said.
Louvre museum robbery
What they're saying:
"A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum," Culture Minister Rachida Dati wrote on X. The museum cited "exceptional reasons" for the closure. No injuries were reported.
Video perspective:
Video posted to social media showed one of the main hallways barred off, with security guards standing by. People were also seen en masse inside the grand lobby below the iconic Louvre Pyramid.
Scenes from inside the Louvre as it closed for the day as officials confirmed a burglary had taken place. Images: @whatyouthinktom and @gregraspoutine via Storyful
Why you should care:
The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum, which promptly closed for the day as police sealed gates and ushered visitors out for the investigation.
Jewel heist
Big picture view:
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and French daily Le Parisien gave details of the burglary.
Thieves used a basket lift to reach a window near some construction, then sliced through its panes using a disc cutter, they said. Once inside — where tourists were already visiting for the day — the thieves were said to have used a freight elevator to reach the Galerie d’Apollon in the Denon wing, where they smashed display cases and grabbed nine pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress. They then drove off on two-wheelers.
By the numbers:
Authorities said the strike took seven minutes, and that the jewels were of "inestimable value."
Le Parisien reported one stolen jewel was later found outside the museum, the paper reported, adding that the item was believed to be Empress Eugénie’s crown and that it had been broken.
Inside the Louvre
Big picture view:
Home to more than 33,000 works spanning antiquities, sculpture and painting — from Mesopotamia, Egypt and the classical world to European masters — the Louvre’s star attractions include the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
Dig deeper:
The Mona Lisa is protected by bulletproof glass and a custom high-tech display system as part of broader anti-theft measures across the museum, and security around high-profile works remains tight.
Though staffing and security at the museum has been strained amid what the union there says is mass tourism. It wasn’t immediately clear whether staffing levels played any role in Sunday’s theft.
By the numbers:
The museum can draw up to 30,000 visitors a day.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from a social media post from France’s Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, from a French daily Le Parisien report, and from comments made by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, as obtained and reported by The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.