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4 hours ago
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“Priceless” historic jewellery has been stolen from the Louvre in Paris after a highly professional daylight robbery by men who used an angle grinder to break through glass and enter one of the museum’s most ornate rooms.
The world’s most-visited museum was suddenly closed for the day after the break-in targeted pieces in two glass cases in its Apollon gallery, where the French crown jewels are held.
The French interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, visited the scene and told France Inter radio that “priceless” jewels “of unmeasurable heritage value” were stolen after what was clearly a well-organised raid.
The thieves struck at 9.30am local time on Sunday and Nuñez said it took them seven minutes to make off with the jewels. He said: “They stole jewels which have a real heritage value, an inestimable heritage value.”
The thieves approached the building from the outside, at an area where building work was taking place. A truck and a goods lift were used to access the museum. They used an angle grinder to break windows and enter. Nuñez said it was the work of “an experienced team who had clearly scouted the location”.
He said three or four suspects had fled – their route was known and police were investigating whether it was a gang known to them for other crimes. Investigators were studying footage from security cameras.
Nuñez would not confirm what jewels were taken but said the thieves targeted two glass cases. The ornate Apollon wing of the Louvre has a set of historic crowns, diadems and sovereign jewellery.
Nuñez said the museum was evacuated to preserve evidence and to allow investigators and forensics teams to carry out their work. The Paris prosecutor has opened an inquiry into the theft.
The French culture minister, Rachida Dati, was first to announce the incident. “A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum,” she wrote on social media. She used the French word braquage, which can mean robbery or hold-up.
She added: “No injuries reported. I’m on site with museum staff and police.”
At least one person had entered the museum, a member of her team told Agence France-Presse, without adding anything about any possible theft.
The Louvre, said it was closing for the day “for exceptional reasons”, without providing further details on what had been stolen.
One of the largest arts centres on the planet, the Louvre attracts more than 8 million visitors a year. Its works range from classical sculpture to Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s 16-century masterpiece and the world’s most famous portrait.
Earlier this year, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced a major renovation of the museum after its director said that visiting the overcrowded building had become a “physical ordeal”.
In a note to the cultural ministry leaked to the media in January, the Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars, had said the space below the museum’s glass pyramid entrance was not properly insulated from the cold or heat, tended to amplify noise, and was uncomfortable for both the public and the staff.
Des Cars also raised the alarm over water leaks, failing infrastructure and temperature swings that endanger the conservation of works of art. Visitors faced overcrowding and substandard facilities, she said.
