France’s Louvre Museum Closes After Jewels Stolen in Robbery

The world-renowned Louvre museum in Paris was shut on Sunday after several pieces of jewelry were stolen in a robbery.

France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati reported the incident on her social media account, without providing further details on what had been stolen, while the Louvre said it was closing for the day “for exceptional reasons,” without elaborating. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez later said “jewelry of inestimable value” had been taken.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office also announced an investigation into “organized theft and criminal conspiracy to commit a crime.”

A global symbol of French culture, the Louvre is one of the most heavily guarded places in the capital. Despite its security, the museum has at times been breached, most famously in 1911 when Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stolen.

Speaking to France Inter radio station on Sunday, Nunez said that several individuals entered the Louvre during what he called a “major robbery” that lasted seven minutes. According to the former Paris police chief, it was “clearly a team that had done their homework” as the windows were cut with a power tool.

Several pieces of jewelry belonging to Napoleon and the Empress Eugenie were stolen from the Apollo Gallery, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.

“Jewelry that has historical and priceless value” had been taken, Nunez said. “But I can’t tell you any more at this time.”

“We are working hard at the moment to find the perpetrators,” he added, while confirming that no one was injured.