In a daring daylight heist that has sent shockwaves through the art world and left Paris reeling, thieves made off with priceless jewels from the Louvre Museum on Sunday, October 19, 2025. The brazen robbery, which unfolded at around 9:30 a.m. local time—just half an hour after the museum had opened its doors to the public—was executed with extraordinary speed and precision, lasting only four to seven minutes according to officials. The incident has reignited concerns about security at one of the world’s most treasured cultural institutions and has prompted a sweeping investigation by French authorities.
According to the French Ministry of the Interior, the thieves—described as a team of three or four experienced criminals—arrived at the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon, home to the French crown jewels, equipped with heavy power tools and a basket lift mounted on a truck. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told France Inter radio that the team used the lift to reach windows on the museum’s Seine-facing facade, which is currently under construction, and then employed an angle grinder or disc cutter to slice through the panes. In a matter of minutes, they smashed their way into two display cases and snatched nine pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress, including a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie. One of the stolen pieces, the broken crown, was later found abandoned near the museum, according to French daily Le Parisien.
The thieves’ escape was as calculated as their entry. They fled the scene on motorbikes or scooters, weaving through the early-morning Paris streets before authorities could mount a response. Culture Minister Rachida Dati, speaking to reporters, emphasized the professionalism of the operation, stating, “To be completely honest, this operation lasted almost four minutes – it was very quick. We have to say that these are professionals.”
The Louvre, renowned as the world’s most-visited museum and home to masterpieces such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, immediately announced its closure for the day, citing “exceptional reasons.” The decision to shut the museum was made not only to secure the premises but also to preserve evidence for investigators. As police sealed the iconic iron gates and closed surrounding roads, thousands of bewildered tourists were ushered out, many expressing disappointment and confusion. Video footage and eyewitness accounts captured crowds milling around the glass pyramid entrance, unsure of what had transpired. “My first visit to the Louvre Museum ended with not seeing a single artwork,” one visitor lamented on social media, encapsulating the frustration felt by many.
Remarkably, no injuries were reported among the public, museum staff, or law enforcement. Authorities moved swiftly to evacuate visitors—both to ensure their safety and to allow forensic teams to work undisturbed. Minister Nuñez explained, “It was necessary to evacuate people from the museum, mainly to preserve evidence and clues so that investigators could work undisturbed.” The Paris public prosecutor’s office has since launched an inquiry into organized theft and criminal conspiracy, with investigators poring over security camera footage and examining objects abandoned by the thieves.
The value of the stolen jewels extends far beyond their monetary worth. Both the Ministry of the Interior and the Louvre emphasized that the items taken possess “inestimable heritage and historical value.” The Galerie d’Apollon, a vaulted hall in the Denon wing, not only displays the French Crown Jewels but also features hard-stone vessels collected by French kings and historic diamonds—treasures that connect modern France to its royal past. As the museum’s statement noted, “Beyond their market value, these items have inestimable heritage and historical value.”
This latest robbery is part of a troubling pattern of high-profile thefts targeting French cultural institutions. Just last month, Paris’s National Museum of Natural History was hit by thieves who used an angle grinder and blow torch to steal gold samples worth 600,000 euros (about $700,000). In November of the previous year, four masked individuals broke into the Cognacq-Jay Museum in broad daylight, smashing display cases with axes and baseball bats to make off with precious artifacts. Such incidents have fueled debate over museum security, especially as mass tourism and staffing shortages put pressure on resources. The Louvre itself saw a staff walkout in June over overcrowding and chronic understaffing, with unions warning that these issues strain both security and visitor management.
Despite these challenges, the Louvre has long maintained robust security for its most famous works. The Mona Lisa, for instance, is protected by bulletproof glass and a custom high-tech display system. Yet, as the events of Sunday demonstrate, even the most vigilant precautions can be circumvented by determined and well-prepared criminals. Interior Minister Nuñez acknowledged as much, noting, “Security at the Louvre had increased in recent years, and that it would be heightened further with the latest plans to overhaul the museum. But we can’t prevent everything.”
The museum’s history is not without precedent for such dramatic incidents. The most famous theft occurred in 1911, when the Mona Lisa was stolen by former employee Vincenzo Peruggia. The painting was recovered two years later in Florence, Italy, in an episode that only heightened its mystique. Other notable heists include the 1976 theft of a diamond-studded sword belonging to King Charles X of France and the 1990 disappearance of a Renoir painting. More recently, European museums have seen a spate of audacious robberies, such as the 2019 Dresden Green Vault break-in, where thieves made off with jewels worth more than 100 million euros. Most of that loot was later recovered, offering a glimmer of hope for the Louvre’s current predicament.
As investigations continue, French officials have pledged to leave no stone unturned. Both Culture Minister Dati and Interior Minister Nuñez have been personally involved, coordinating with museum management and law enforcement. “I expect we will very soon find the thieves and jewels,” Nuñez said, expressing confidence in the ongoing operation. For now, a detailed inventory of the stolen items is being compiled, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
The Louvre, which can draw up to 30,000 visitors a day and houses more than 33,000 works spanning from Mesopotamia to the European masters, remains closed as forensic teams comb the scene. The museum’s rare closure underscores the gravity of the situation; such actions have typically only occurred during war, the Covid-19 pandemic, or major staff strikes.
For Paris and the global art community, the robbery is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities facing even the most storied institutions. As the city grapples with the aftermath, all eyes are on the Louvre—not just for its treasures, but for the resilience it must now show in the face of loss.