Louvre Museum Closes After Daring Daylight Jewel Heist
The Louvre Museum suspended operations on March 25, 2024, following a brazen jewel heist that saw historic treasures stolen in broad daylight. Thieves executed the theft shortly after the museum opened, prompting authorities to reevaluate security protocols at cultural sites throughout France.
Museum staff instructed visitors waiting outside the iconic glass pyramid entrance to leave as they announced the closure. In a social media statement, the Louvre confirmed that ticket holders would receive refunds but did not disclose further details regarding the incident.
Thieves gained access to the museum by riding a basket lift up its facade, forcing a window before smashing display cases to seize the priceless Napoleonic jewels. The heist unfolded just 250 meters from the famous Mona Lisa, and according to Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the operation lasted only a few minutes and was executed with remarkable precision.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin publicly acknowledged security shortcomings on March 26, stating, “One can wonder about the fact that, for example, the windows hadn’t been secured.” He emphasized the need for a thorough review of security measures, noting that while complete security is unattainable, significant failures had occurred.
In response, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez directed prefects across France to assess and enhance security at museums and cultural sites. Dati confirmed that investigators are examining evidence collected at the scene, including a motorcycle left behind by the suspects. “We did find motorcycles and they have a license plate,” she noted during an interview with CNews.
The swift execution of the heist, which took less than eight minutes total—less than four of which were spent inside the Louvre—has raised alarm. Dati described the thieves as highly efficient, asserting they “went straight to the display windows” and appeared to know precisely what they were after.
The theft focused on the gilded Apollo Gallery, home to the Crown Diamonds. Although alarms triggered a response from Louvre security, the robbers had already completed their crime. A Louvre employee filmed an individual wearing a yellow jacket in the Apollo Gallery on that Sunday morning; it remains uncertain if this person is connected to the crime.
Officials confirmed that eight objects were taken during the heist, including a sapphire diadem, a necklace, and a single earring linked to 19th-century French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. Other stolen items included an emerald necklace and earrings from the collection of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, as well as a reliquary brooch and a diadem belonging to Empress Eugénie, a treasured 19th-century imperial ensemble. Remarkably, one object—a crown set with emeralds that belonged to Empress Eugénie—was later recovered outside the museum.
The heist has drawn attention to the 700 million euro ($760 million) “Louvre New Renaissance” plan launched earlier in 2024, aimed at modernizing the museum’s infrastructure and improving visitor experience by 2031. Dati highlighted the necessity of upgrading security measures, noting that the Louvre was not originally designed to accommodate the current influx of 10 million visitors annually.
As investigations continue, the Louvre Museum remains closed, with officials working diligently to determine how such a significant breach could occur in one of the world’s most renowned cultural institutions.
