Image Credentials: Image Title: Louvre Museum Shuts Down After Daring Jewel Heist Source: (Sora.ChatGPT) Date: October 2025. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (Sora.ChatGPT) and does not depict a real-world scene.
Isabella Harper | Staff Writer with Agencies
PARIS — In one of the most audacious art thefts in recent French history, thieves broke into the Louvre Museum early Sunday using a basket lift and made off with priceless jewels from the museum’s renowned Apollo Gallery.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that the theft was a “major robbery” and said the perpetrators “entered from the outside using a basket lift” before stealing jewels of “inestimable value.” According to Nuñez, the entire operation lasted just seven minutes.
“It was manifestly a team that had done scouting,” the minister told France Inter, adding that the thieves used a disc cutter to slice through panes of glass.
The Louvre announced an “exceptional closure” following the incident but did not provide further details. No injuries were reported.
The Louvre was robbed this morning thieves stole jewels from Napoleon’s collection, including a necklace and a tiara, before escaping on scooters. pic.twitter.com/IlFmrfeJiL
— AlertBreakingNews (@Yass_Smith) October 19, 2025
A Daring Operation in Broad Daylight
Video shared on social media showed confusion and panic among tourists as police sealed off the museum’s gates and cordoned nearby streets. The Louvre, which draws as many as 30,000 visitors a day, sits at the heart of Paris, facing the Seine River and adjacent to several government buildings.
French newspaper Le Parisien reported that the burglars gained access through the Seine-facing facade, where construction work is currently underway. Using a freight elevator, they reached the Apollo Gallery directly, smashed windows, and seized “nine pieces from the jewellery collection of Napoleon and the Empress.”
Among the stolen treasures was believed to be Empress Eugénie’s crown, though one jewel matching its description was later found outside the museum, reportedly broken.
Echoes of Past Thefts
The Louvre has faced thefts and attempted robberies before, most famously in 1911 when Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, a former museum employee. The painting was recovered two years later in Florence, and the theft ironically contributed to its worldwide fame.
In 1983, two Renaissance-era suits of armor were stolen and were only recovered nearly forty years later. The museum’s collection, built in part from Napoleonic-era looting, also remains at the center of ongoing restitution debates.
The Apollo Gallery and Its Legacy
The Galerie d’Apollon, where Sunday’s theft occurred, is home to some of the most valuable items in the Louvre’s collection. It showcases the French Crown Jewels — a dazzling display of craftsmanship and royal heritage spanning centuries.
Police investigators are working with museum security and anti-theft specialists to review surveillance footage and trace the escape route of the burglars. French authorities have not yet disclosed whether any arrests have been made.
For now, the Louvre remains closed as security teams assess the damage and reinforce vulnerable areas of the museum.
“This is not just a theft from the Louvre,” one cultural official told AFP. “It’s a theft from the world’s shared heritage.”