Louvre closes after robbery targeting Napoleon-era jewellery

A robbery at the Musée du Louvre in Paris on Sunday morning prompted the worldfamous museum to close for the day as police launched an investigation, France's culture minister said. Rachida Dati posted on X that the incident occurred at the museum's opening, that no injuries were reported and that she was on site alongside museum staff and police.

The Louvre's official account on X said the institution would remain closed for exceptional reasons. Officials have not released a full inventory of losses or confirmed the precise items taken, but investigators and local reports said the theft targeted historic jewellery once associated with Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress Joséphine. Those reports have suggested several pieces were removed, including items from the Napoleon and French sovereigns displays, though the museum and prosecutors had not independently verified those details at the time of the announcement.

Local police sources cited by French outlets described a carefully planned operation. According to those accounts, the suspects exploited a service route on the Seine side of the building where construction work has been under way, used a goods lift to reach a targeted room,...