Louvre Closed After Daring Daylight Jewel Heist

Paris: The Louvre Museum remained closed on Monday, a day after historic jewels were stolen in a daylight heist that shocked France and the art world. The museum asked visitors waiting outside the glass pyramid entrance to leave, saying those who had booked tickets would be refunded. No further details were shared immediately.
According to officials, the robbery took place on Sunday morning, around 30 minutes after the museum opened, while visitors were already inside. Thieves used a basket lift to reach the Louvre’s facade, forced open a window, broke display cases, and escaped with priceless Napoleonic jewels. The operation lasted about four minutes and occurred just 250 meters from the Mona Lisa. Culture Minister Rachida Dati described the theft as a highly professional act.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin admitted to security lapses, questioning why windows had not been secured and why a basket lift had been left accessible on a public road. “We cannot completely secure every location, but in this case, it is clear that we failed,” he said on France Inter radio.
Culture Minister Dati said investigators were working on evidence collected from the scene. “We found a motorcycle with a license plate,” she said on CNews. She also praised security officers for stopping one of the thieves from setting the lift on fire. “Their action prevented the destruction of evidence and forced the suspects to flee,” she added.
The theft targeted the Apollon Gallery, which houses France’s Crown Diamonds and royal jewels. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the thieves used a disc cutter to cut window panes and gain entry from the riverfront side before heading directly to two display cases. They then fled on motorbikes after smashing the glass. Although alarms were triggered and staff arrived quickly, the intruders had already escaped.
Officials confirmed that eight pieces were stolen, including a sapphire diadem, necklace, and earring set belonging to 19th-century French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense; an emerald necklace and earrings of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife; a reliquary brooch; and Empress Eugénie’s diadem and large corsage-bow brooch—part of a prized 19th-century imperial collection.
One item—the emerald-studded imperial crown of Empress Eugénie, adorned with more than 1,300 diamonds—was later found outside the museum, authorities said.
Dati noted that the ongoing “Louvre New Renaissance” plan, launched earlier this year with a 700 million euro budget, includes major security upgrades. She said the plan aims to modernize infrastructure, manage crowding, and create a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa by 2031.