Louvre Museum closed after theft of French Crown jewels

THE Louvre Museumin Parisone of the largest and most visited museums in the world, was hastily closed this Sunday, the 19th. Criminals stole jewels of incalculable value in a lightning operation lasting just seven minutes, as stated Laurent NuñezFrench Interior Minister.

In a radio interview France Inter, Nuñez reported: “A major criminal operation took place in the morning at the Apollo Gallery. The criminals accessed the Louvre Museum from the outside using a freight elevator installed on a truck.”

THE Apollo Gallery houses the French Crown Jewels and other treasures, such as the collection of hard stone vases from Louis XIV.

The robbers broke a window with a grinder and took jewelry of “inestimable emotional and patrimonial value”, added the minister. Second Nuñez“three or four individuals” participated in the action.

Rachida DatiMinister of Culture, informed the channel TF1 that a piece was found near the Louvre and is being analyzed.

The Ministry of the Interior announced in a statement that a complete list of stolen objects is being drawn up. “In addition to their commercial value, the pieces have immeasurable heritage and historical importance”, highlighted the statement.

The robbery lasted just seven minutes, and the criminals fled on motorcycles, reported Nuñez the France Inter.

“I am confident that we will soon locate those responsible and, most importantly, recover the objects taken,” he added.

According to the French Ministry of the Interior, the crime took place around 9:30 am local time (approximately 4:30 am Brasília), and the evacuation of the public occurred without problems.

The museum houses more than 35,000 works of art — including the iconic Mona Lisafrom Leonardo da Vinciand Greek sculpture Venus de Milo — and has one of the most modern and monitored security systems in Europe.

All visitors were asked to leave the area. According to the museum’s official channel, Sunday tickets will be refunded or rescheduled. Employees present at the time of the incident were also interviewed by authorities.

The mayor of central Paris, Ariel Weiltold reporters that the thieves “planned everything meticulously, obviously.” He stated that he did not remember the Louvre have been the target of a robbery in more than a century. “I’m thinking, of course, of the theft of Mona Lisa in 1911, but I can’t remember any more recent theft,” he declared.

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