In a stunning daytime operation, thieves successfully stole jewels of “incalculable” worth from Paris’s world-renowned Louvre Museum on Sunday, as confirmed by France’s interior minister.
The daring robbery occurred around 9:30 a.m. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez explained on France Inter radio that the culprits employed an unusual tactic: a truck-mounted lift, commonly used for hoisting furniture through apartment windows, to breach the second-floor Galerie d’Apollon.
This opulent gallery, known for housing France’s royal gem collection and historic crown diamonds like “The Regent,” “The Sancy,” and the “Hortensia,” was targeted with incredible speed. According to Mr. Nuñez, the thieves managed to break into two display cases, grab eight precious items, and escape on motor scooters in a mere seven minutes.
Among the stolen treasures were a royal sapphire necklace and matching earrings, a stunning royal emerald necklace and earrings, and a magnificent diadem once belonging to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III (who ruled France from 1848 to 1870). This was confirmed by a statement from the French Ministry of Culture.
“This is a major robbery,” stated Mr. Nuñez, emphasizing the scale of the crime. Investigators suspect a team of three or four highly experienced criminals, judging by the precision and swiftness of the operation.
However, in their hurried escape, the robbers inadvertently dropped Empress Eugénie’s tiara, a breathtaking piece adorned with 212 pearls, 1,998 diamonds, and 992 rose-cut diamonds.
The French Culture Ministry reported that five museum staff members were present in the Apollon Gallery when the break-in occurred, triggering security alarms. Following strict protocols, their immediate focus was on contacting the police and ensuring the safety of all individuals present.
Visitors had been in the museum for about 30 minutes before chaos erupted. Joseph Sanchez, a tourist from Puerto Rico waiting to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa with his family, described initial panic as security guards urgently directed people to evacuate. Many feared a terrorist attack or fire. They were held in the lobby for over an hour before a calm evacuation was completed, Mr. Sanchez recounted.
Thankfully, no one was reported injured during the robbery, according to French Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
The Louvre announced its closure for the remainder of the day, citing both a “security measure” and the need to “preserve traces and clues for the investigation.”
Police and military personnel quickly secured the scene. Authorities confirmed that investigators are meticulously examining all evidence, including items left behind by the thieves and extensive security camera footage.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched a full investigation, with efforts currently focused on “assessing the full extent of the losses.”
As a former royal palace, the Louvre stands as the world’s largest museum, boasting a sprawling complex of wings and courtyards housing over 33,000 works of art, including countless sculptures, paintings, and antiques. Annually, up to 30,000 people throng its halls daily, with particularly dense crowds around Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. This immense popularity recently prompted President Emmanuel Macron of France to announce plans for a dedicated room and entrance specifically for the iconic painting.
This incident follows a troubling trend of recent robberies targeting French museums. Just last week, four individuals were apprehended after the President Jacques Chirac Museum in Corrèze was ransacked by armed, balaclava-clad thieves. Astonishingly, the same museum suffered a second break-in less than 48 hours later, as reported by the French media.
Earlier in September, the National Museum of Natural History, located near the Louvre, reported the theft of raw gold nuggets valued at approximately $700,000. That same month, the Adrien Dubouché museum in Limoges saw two porcelain dishes and a vase, collectively worth around €9.5 million (or $11 million), disappear in another audacious theft.
Arthur Brand, a 56-year-old Dutch expert in art crime, expressed little surprise at the Louvre heist, noting the recent surge in museum thefts. However, he described breaking into France’s premier museum to steal jewels as “the ultimate art heist, it’s like something out of a movie.”
The Louvre itself has a history of high-profile thefts. Notably, in the summer of 1911, a museum employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, stole the Mona Lisa. The iconic painting was recovered two years later when Peruggia attempted to sell it, and it was subsequently returned to its home.
Other notable incidents include a 1976 dawn break-in where three burglars scaled scaffolding and smashed second-floor windows to steal a 19th-century diamond-studded sword belonging to King Charles X. In 1990, Pierre Auguste Renoir’s “Portrait of a Seated Woman” was meticulously cut from its frame and stolen from a third-floor gallery.
The wave of museum robberies isn’t confined to France; other European nations have also seen similar high-value thefts in recent years.
For instance, in 2019, thieves infiltrated the Royal Palace museum in Dresden, Germany, absconding with over 100 million euros’ worth of jewels (approximately $116 million). A significant portion of these stolen items was later recovered as part of a plea agreement.
Despite these incidents, Mr. Nuñez affirmed on Sunday that security measures at the Louvre have been enhanced in recent years and will be further bolstered by upcoming museum renovation plans.
“But we can’t prevent everything,” he conceded in his interview with France Inter.