Louvre Museum in Paris closed after robbery, police say

Louvre Museum in Paris closed after robbery.

Robbery of jewelry that had once belonged to Napoleon and his empress triggered closure of Louvre museum today.

UPDATE – Thieves stole nine pieces from Napoleon and the Empress’s jewellery collection including a necklace, a brooch and a tiara, entering the Apollo gallery, where construction was ongoing, using a freight elevator to access windows.

There were “three or four perpetrators,” Nuñez said.

Minister of Culture Rachida Dati told French TV station TF1 that one piece of jewelry had been found near the Louvre and was being evaluated.

TF1 and newspaper Le Parisien said the recovered piece was the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. The ornate gold piece, which features 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, was damaged in the heist, they said.

Le Parisien said a second piece of jewelry had also been recovered, but did not identify it.

A detailed list of the stolen items is being compiled, the interior ministry said in a statement. “Beyond their market value, the items have inestimable heritage and historical value,” it added.

The robbery took only seven minutes, with the suspects fleeing on motorcycles, Nuñez told France Inter.

“Clearly, a team had been scouting the location. It was obviously a very experienced team that acted very, very quickly,” the interior minister said.