Visitors queue adjacent the solid Pyramid to participate wrong the Louvre Museum connected a sunny outpouring time successful Paris, France, April 18, 2025.
Abdul Saboor | Reuters
A theft occurred astatine the Louvre connected Sunday, France's civilization curate said, arsenic the depository closed for the time portion authorities investigate.
"A robbery took spot this greeting astatine the opening of the Louvre Museum," Rachida Dati wrote connected X.
The Louvre said it would adjacent "for exceptional reasons," offering nary further details connected the heist. No injuries were reported.
Dati said she was connected tract and that an probe was underway.
French regular Le Parisien reported that the criminals entered the world's astir visited depository and erstwhile palace via the Seine-facing facade, wherever operation is underway. The study said they utilized a freight elevator to summation nonstop entree to the targeted country successful the Apollo Gallery.
After breaking windows, they reportedly stole "nine pieces from the jewelry postulation of Napoleon and the Empress," Le Parisien said.
The Louvre has a agelong past of thefts and attempted robberies. The astir celebrated was successful 1911, erstwhile the Mona Lisa vanished from its frame, stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, a erstwhile idiosyncratic who hid wrong the depository and walked retired with the coating nether his coat. It was recovered 2 years aboriginal successful Florence — an occurrence that helped marque Leonardo da Vinci's representation the world's best-known artwork.
In 1983, 2 Renaissance-era pieces of armor were stolen from the Louvre and lone recovered astir 4 decades later. The museum's postulation besides bears the bequest of Napoleonic-era looting that continues to spark restitution debates today.
The Louvre is location to much than 33,000 works spanning antiquities, sculpture and coating — from Mesopotamia, Egypt and the classical satellite to European masters. Its prima attractions see the Mona Lisa, arsenic good arsenic the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
The Galerie d'Apollon, wherever Sunday's theft reportedly took place, displays a enactment of the French Crown Jewels.
The depository tin gully up to 30,000 visitors a day.
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