Louvre Museum Theft: The Louvre Museum in Paris shuttered its doorways for “distinctive causes” on Sunday after a brazen heist stripped eight priceless jewels from Apollo’s Gallery, sending shockwaves by way of the world’s most-visited museum.
The police cordoned off the enduring glass pyramid entrance. Armed troopers patrolled the courtyards. A manhunt for the perpetrators raced by way of the streets of Paris.
French authorities confirmed the thieves gained entry by way of a window shortly after opening hours, utilizing a furnishings elevate to achieve the gallery. In simply 4 minutes, the intruders mounted bikes carrying jewels relationship again to the Napoleonic period, leaving one crown behind on the pavement.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron condemned the theft as an “assault on a heritage that we cherish” and promised justice. “All the pieces is being accomplished, in every single place, to attain this, underneath the management of the Paris prosecutor’s workplace,” he stated.
The heist unfolded round 9:30 a.m. native time (07:30 GMT). Vacationers wandered by way of gilded halls because the robbers focussed on Apollo’s Gallery, a corridor commissioned by King Louis XIV, adorned with golden moldings, frescoes and historic treasures.
Inside Minister Laurent Nunez described it as a “main theft” and stated the thieves used a basket elevate to enter and escape on bikes with “jewels of inestimable worth”.
The Louvre evacuated guests and posted on-line that it will stay closed underneath “distinctive circumstances”. Streets close to the Seine have been sealed as investigators combed the scene.
“It was loopy, like a Hollywood film,” stated American vacationer Talia Ocampo. No accidents have been reported. Authorities imagine 4 people carried out the operation.
The stolen objects belonged to Empress Marie-Louise, spouse of Napoleon I, and Empress Eugenie, spouse of Napoleon III. Eight items have been taken from high-security instances. Amongst them are: a tiara from the Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense sapphire set, an identical necklace, a single sapphire earring, an emerald necklace and pair of emerald earrings from the Marie-Louise set, the “reliquary” brooch, the tiara of Empress Eugenie and one other massive brooch of Empress Eugenie.
The crown of Empress Eugenie, adorned with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, was deserted exterior the museum in the course of the escape. Apollo’s Gallery nonetheless homes different historic gems, together with the Regent, the Sancy and the Hortensia diamonds, together with the royal hardstone vessel assortment. The jewels are priceless culturally, not solely monetarily.
The thieves mixed velocity, planning and instruments. The police say they arrived on a scooter armed with angle grinders. Utilizing a hoist, they accessed the gallery from the surface, chopping windowpanes with a disc cutter. A close-by witness on a bicycle stated two males climbed the hoist, broke the window and entered in thirty seconds.
Two of the thieves reportedly wore yellow security vests, mixing in with ongoing development work on the Seine-facing facade.
Tradition Minister Rachida Dati stated authorities arrived minutes after receiving alerts. “To be utterly sincere, this operation lasted virtually 4 minutes. It was very fast,” she stated.
Footage exhibits the hoist braced in opposition to the balcony window, now eliminated.
The Louvre stays closed. Investigations proceed. The stolen jewels might vanish into non-public arms or disappear into underground markets, leaving the museum and the world to marvel in regards to the destiny of France’s Napoleonic treasures.