The iconic French art museum was closed after criminals reportedly stole several pieces of Napoleon-linked jewelry<\/p>\n
The Louvre Museum in Paris has been closed for the day after a robbery on Sunday, local officials have said. Unconfirmed media reports claimed that several criminals stole nine pieces from the Napoleonic jewelry collection.
\nThe incident was reported by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who said on X that \u201ca robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum.\u201d She added that there are no reports of injuries and that a police investigation is underway. The minister provided no further details.
\nThe museum itself said that it will remain closed for the day due to \u201cexceptional reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udc40 This morning, the Louvre in Paris was broken into and Napoleon’s jewels were stolen. pic.twitter.com\/BBfU9mWOKu\u2014 Conflict Radar (@Conflict_Radar) October 19, 2025 <\/p>\n
The newspaper Le Parisien reported, citing a preliminary investigation, that several hooded criminals broke into the world\u2019s most visited art museum through a building where construction work is ongoing, and then used a freight elevator to access a room in the Apollo Gallery, which houses part of France\u2019s historic royal jewelry.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: World\u2019s most famous painting could get its own room<\/p>\n
The thieves reportedly stole nine pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress, including a necklace, a brooch, a tiara, and several other items, according to the paper. However, the 140-carat Regent Diamond, estimated to be worth more than $60 million, reportedly remained in place.
\nLe Parisien said that one of the stolen items, which appears to be a broken crown of Empress Eugenie, the spouse of Napoleon III, was found outside the museum.<\/p>\n
Crown of Empress Eugenie.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0 Wikipedia <\/p>\n
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez later told reporters that the entire heist took only seven minutes, meaning the criminals \u201chad been clearly scouting.\u201d He acknowledged that the authorities \u201ccan\u2019t prevent everything,\u201d adding that there is \u201cgreat vulnerability in French museums.\u201d
\nThe last theft from the Louvre dates back to 1983, when two Renaissance metalwork pieces \u2013 a ceremonial helmet and breastplate \u2014 were stolen. They were recovered in Belgium in 2021.
\nThe most famous Louvre robbery, however, happened in 1911, when an Italian tradesman named Vincenzo Peruggia stole Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s ‘Mona Lisa’, hiding it under his smock. The painting was missing for two years, a heist that helped make it the world\u2019s most recognized artwork.
\nThe Louvre attracts around 9 million visitors each year, and houses more than 615,000 objects, including about 35,000 artworks on public display, spanning from ancient civilizations to the 19th century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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