The thieves broke into the Louvre using a crane to smash an upstairs window, then stole priceless objects from an area that houses the French crown jewels before escaping on motorbikes.
The theft, which several newspapers called “heist of the century”, grabbed headlines globally. The museum, which shut after the robbery on Sunday morning, remained closed yesterday.
The break-in raised awkward questions about security at the museum, which is home to artworks such as the Mona Lisa and which welcomed 8.7 million visitors in 2024.
French justice minister Gerald Darmanin said the theft had cast France in a “deplorable” light. Opposition politicians criticised the government for what they branded a national humiliation.
“For too long we have looked into the security of visitors but not the security of artworks
“What is certain is that we failed,” Mr Darmanin told France Inter radio.
The culture and interior ministers held an emergency meeting yesterday and agreed to ask senior officials across France “to immediately assess the existing security measures already in place around cultural institutions, and to strengthen them if necessary”.
“For too long we have looked into the security of visitors but not the security of artworks,” culture minister Rachida Dati told M6TV, adding that she was hoping to put in place shortcuts to public procurement rules to speed up security enhancements in museums.
The robbery took between six and seven minutes and was carried out by four people who were unarmed but who threatened the guards with angle grinders, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Sunday.
Police gather on the Louvre Pyramid spiral staircase, after the theft of Napoleon collection jewellery pieces at the museum. Photo: Reuters
News in 90 Seconds – October 21st
The probe has been entrusted to a specialist police unit that has a high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies, interior minister Laurent Nunez said on Sunday
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This heist “is an unbearable humiliation for our country. How far will the disintegration of the state go?”, Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally party, said on X.
Francois-Xavier Bellamy, of the conservative Republicans party, called it “a symptom of a country that cannot protect its heritage”.
The stolen jewellery included a tiara from the jewellery set of queen Maria Amalia and queen Hortense, from the early 19th century, as well as an earring, part of a pair from the sapphire jewellery set of the same queens.
The crown of Empress Eugenie was found outside the museum. The thieves apparently dropped the piece, made of gold, emeralds and diamonds, as they made their getaway.