A group of thieves entered the iconic Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday and escaped with jewelry worth millions. According to People, a spokesperson for the Louvre said the thieves burglarized the museum after entering through a window in the Galerie d’Apollon section of the building.
“They stole jewelry from display cases inside the museum and fled on motorcycles,” the spokesperson stated, per People.
While investigators are still compiling a list of the stolen items, officials said the jewelry holds “inestimable heritage and historical value.”
What happened to the Louvre Museum after the building was burglarized on Sunday?
Officials closed down the Louvre soon after it was burglarized on Sunday morning, saying that they are guarding the building to “preserve evidence.”
“All possible measures are being taken to recover the stolen items,” the Louvre said in a statement.
France’s culture minister, Rachida Dati, also released a statement on X, saying nobody was injured during the burglary.
“A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the @MuseeLouvre,” Dati wrote. “No injuries to report. I am on site alongside the museum teams and the police. Investigations underway.”
Un braquage a eu lieu ce matin à l’ouverture du @MuseeLouvre. Pas de blessés à déplorer. Je suis sur place aux cotés des équipes du musée et de la police. Constatations en cours.
— Rachida Dati ن (@datirachida) October 19, 2025
How did the thieves enter the Louvre?
According to France 24, a group of four thieves were carrying small chainsaws and angle grinders when they entered the museum. The robbers went to the room they were targeting and stole the items in about seven minutes. According to Le Parisien, two of the thieves wore yellow vests to disguise themselves as workers at the museum. The two others were seen riding on scooters.
The stolen objects include nine jewelry items from the Napoleon and Empresses Marie-Louise and Eugenie collection. According to Le Figaro, Dati said a piece of jewelry “was found near the museum” after the burglary. Police have recovered a total of two jewelry items so far.
The Paris prosecutor’s office, which described the robbery as an “organized theft,” has opened an investigation.