Thieves entered the Louvre Museum, which houses the Mona Lisa, this Sunday (19th), shortly before its opening, and took several art objects. The value of the theft is being assessed.
Thieves entered the Louvre Museum, which houses the Mona Lisa, this Sunday (19th), shortly before its opening, and took several art objects. The value of the theft is being assessed.
Between 9.30am and 9.40am local time (4.30am and 4.40am in Brasilia), thieves entered the museum, located in the heart of Paris, and stole several art objects before fleeing, a source close to the case told AFP.
The criminals, whose number has not yet been released, apparently arrived on a motorcycle and used a goods lift to access the targeted room. According to a police source they used small chainsaws. The motorbike used in the escape has been found.
According to the newspaper’s website Le Parisienthe thieves took nine pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress: a necklace, a brooch, a tiara and other pieces, which were located in the Apollo Gallery.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati initially reported in X that a “robbery” had taken place at the inauguration of the Louvre Museum.
“This morning at the inauguration of the Louvre Museum, a robbery occurred. There were no injuries. They are on site, together with the museum team and the police. The investigations are ongoing,” wrote the minister, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nunez.
The Louvre, which received almost 9 million visitors in 2024, of which 80% were foreigners, announced on X that it will remain “closed” on Sunday “for exceptional reasons”.
Robberies in other museums
Several French museums have recently been the targets of robberies and thefts, highlighting possible flaws in their security and surveillance systems.
In mid-September, specimens of native gold – the mineral in its natural form – were stolen during a break-in at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. The institution, which complains of an “inestimable loss” for research and heritage, has estimated the value of the damages at around 600,000 euros.
In the same month of September, a museum in Limoges, central France, an important porcelain museum, suffered a robbery, with losses estimated at 6.5 million euros.
RFI and AFP
Source: Terra

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