Masked thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday morning, one of the French capital’s most famous landmarks, and stole jewelry from the collection of Napoleon and the Empress. According to reports in France, no one was physically injured during the incident, but the robbers managed to escape, and a manhunt is now underway. The museum’s management announced that it would remain closed for the rest of the day.
France’s Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, said the robbery took place just as the museum was opening. She hurried to the site and was present alongside staff members and police officers.
The newspaper Le Parisien reported that, according to an initial investigation, the thieves entered the building along the Seine River, in an area currently under renovation. They reportedly used a freight elevator to reach the room they targeted—the Apollo Gallery. After breaking windows, and while accomplices stood watch, two of the robbers stole nine items from Napoleon’s and the Empress’s jewelry collection. Among the stolen pieces were a necklace, a brooch, and a crown. However, a Louvre source said the largest diamond in the collection, weighing more than 140 carats, was left untouched. French authorities are now considering whether the jewels have already been melted down for their gold.
Although no one was injured, witnesses described “great panic” among visitors. “Everyone inside was running and banging on the glass doors to get out, but they couldn’t open them,” said Cassie, who was at the scene. Police officers were seen running near the Louvre’s iconic glass pyramid.
The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, drawing up to 30,000 visitors a day and nearly 9 million a year. It houses more than 33,000 works of art and has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies. The most famous theft occurred in 1911, when a former museum employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, stole the Mona Lisa. He hid inside the museum overnight, then walked out with the painting under his coat. It was recovered two years later in Florence, and the incident helped make Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait the most famous artwork in the world.
In 1983, two pieces of Renaissance armor were stolen from the Louvre; they were found and returned nearly four decades later.