PARIS (AP) — In a minutes-long strike Sunday inside the world’s most visited museum, thieves took a basket elevator into the Louvre, smashed a window in the Galerie d’Apollon and — while tourists squeezed shoulder to shoulder in the aisles — smashed display cases and fled with Napoleon’s priceless jewels, officials said.
These were among the most notable museum thefts in recent memory, and came at a time when Louvre Museum employees complained about a lack of staff and security.
One piece was later found outside the museum, according to Culture Minister Rachida Dati. French daily newspaper Le Parisien reported that the emerald-encrusted crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie – gold, diamonds and carved eagles – was found just outside the walls, broken.
The theft occurred just 250 meters from the Mona Lisa, in what Dati described as “an operation that took four minutes.” No one was hurt.
Pictures from the scene showed confused tourists being escorted from the Glass Pyramid and nearby squares while officers closed nearby streets along the Seine.
It was also apparent that there was an elevator installed on the facade facing the Seine near the construction area, an unusual weak point in the palace museum.
The museum is already under pressure
At approximately 9:30 a.m., several intruders broke into one of the windows, cut the panels using a disc cutter, and then went straight to the display cases, officials said. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the crew entered from outside using a basket crane.
The choice of target exacerbated the trauma. The vaulted Galerie d’Apollon in the Denon Wing, covered by a Louis XIV painted ceiling, displays a selection of the French Crown Jewels. The thieves are believed to have approached via the riverfront, where construction is taking place, used a freight elevator to reach the hall, seized nine pieces from a set of 23 pieces associated with Napoleon and the Empress, and fled on motorcycles, according to Le Parisien newspaper.
Robberies in broad daylight during general business hours are rare. Doing one inside the Louvre — in the presence of visitors — is among the most daring in Europe since the Green Vault in Dresden in 2019, and the most serious in France in more than a decade.
It also clashes with a deeper tension that the Louvre has struggled to resolve: growing crowds and an overworked staff. The museum’s opening was delayed during a staff strike in June due to overcrowding and chronic staff shortages. Unions say mass tourism leaves too few eyes on too many rooms and creates pressure points where construction zones, shipping routes and visitor flows meet.
Security around the marquee works remains tight, with the Mona Lisa housed behind bulletproof glass in a custom climate-controlled case.
It is unclear whether employment levels played any role in Sunday’s breakout.
The Louvre Museum has a long history of thefts and attempted burglaries. The most famous of these occurred in 1911, when the Mona Lisa disappeared from its frame, was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia and recovered two years later in Florence.
Today the former royal palace bears the call of civilization: Leonardo’s Mona Lisa; Serenity Without Arms by Venus de Milo; The winged victory of Samothrace, whipped by the winds on the stairs of Darrow; Hammurabi’s carved code of laws; Delacroix’s freedom leads the people; Gericault’s Raft of Medusa. More than 33,000 works of art – from Mesopotamia, Egypt and the classical world to European masters – attract a daily wave of up to 30,000 visitors, even as investigators now begin searching those gilded corridors for clues.
Politics is at the doorstep
The theft immediately spilled over into politics. Far-right leader Jordan Bardella used it to attack President Emmanuel Macron, who is weakened at home and faces a divided parliament.
Bardella wrote on X: “The Louvre is a global symbol of our culture. This theft, which allowed thieves to steal jewels from the French crown, is an unbearable humiliation for our country. How far will the state’s decadence go?”
The criticism comes as Macron promotes his decade-long “New Louvre Renaissance” plan — some €700 million to modernize infrastructure, ease congestion and give the Mona Lisa a dedicated gallery by 2031. For workers on the ground, the relief has been slower than the pressure.
What we know – and don’t know
Forensic teams are examining the crime scene and nearby access points while a full inventory is conducted, authorities said. Officials described the quantity as having “priceless” historical value.
Recovery can be difficult. “It is unlikely that these jewels will be seen again,” said Tobias Kormend, managing director of 77 Diamonds. “Professional crews often break and recut large, recognizable stones to avoid detection, effectively erasing their source.”
The Louvre Museum was closed for the rest of the day on Sunday, and the police closed its gates, evacuated the courtyards, and closed nearby streets along the Seine River.
The main questions that remain unanswered are how many people participated in the robbery and whether they had inside help, authorities said. According to French media, there were four perpetrators: two dressed as construction workers and wearing yellow safety vests on the elevator, and two on a motorcycle.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from the Denon Pavilion and the riverfront, examining the basket elevator used to access the exhibit and interviewing employees who were on site when the museum opened, authorities said.
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Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.