Louvre shuts after “major” jewel robbery; police probe swift, surgical heist

France’s culture minister Rachida Dati said the Louvre Museum was closed for the day after a robbery at opening time, as police launched an investigation into a fast, highly coordinated jewel heist inside the Galerie d’Apollon, home to part of the French Crown Jewels.

Authorities said a team of thieves accessed the building using a basket lift, forced a window by cutting panes with power tools, smashed display cases, and fled within minutes, an operation the interior minister described as “major” and meticulously scouted.

With early reports indicating historic pieces linked to the Napoleonic era among those taken, no injuries were reported, streets around the palace complex were sealed off amid the evacuation, and while initial accounts varied on the exact inventory and condition of stolen items,

officials emphasized their “inestimable” cultural value as curators and police began a room-by-room assessment and forensic sweep, with the museum citing “exceptional reasons” for the shutdown and promising updates as the inquiry progresses.

Sources: Reuters;Guardian; Associated Press; Financial Time