The Louvre, the most famous museum in the world, became the scene of a spectacular robbery that resembled a movie script.

In just seven minutes, a group of three or four people managed to break into the Apollo Gallery , where the remaining jewels of the French royal collection are kept, and steal jewels of incalculable value.

The attack occurred around 9:30 in the morning, shortly after the museum had opened to the public.

The perpetrators used a lifting mechanism mounted on a truck to reach a first-floor balcony, on the south side of the museum facing the Seine.

They used a wheelbarrow to cut out a window, broke into the interior and broke into two jewelry displays. Initial indications indicate that their target was jewelry from the era of Napoleon and Empress Eugenia.

Then, the robbers disappeared on motorcycles, leaving behind a single jewel – Eugenia's crown – broken and abandoned near the museum's exit.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the jewel features 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds and is considered one of the greatest examples of 19th-century imperial art.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France Inter that this was a group of experienced criminals who acted with precision and speed.

Everything indicates that they had planned the operation long in advance. The thieves knew exactly what they wanted and how to get it, he said, adding that the stolen goods have incalculable and historical value and are impossible to sell legally.

🇫🇷 #France Louvre Robbery in 7 Minutes — Criminals Acted Like in “Ocean’s Eleven”

Unknown perpetrators pulled off a daring robbery at the Louvre, entering the Apollo Gallery using a cherry picker through a building under construction. The entire heist took just 7 minutes.… pic.twitter.com/TCYAGN8sxu

— Military Conflicts (@Alex_RobertsJ) October 19, 2025

Culture Minister Racida Dati confirmed that there were no injuries and described the robbery as highly professional.

Visitors were quickly evacuated and the museum was closed for the rest of the day for security and preservation reasons, the Louvre said in a statement.

The police cordoned off the area around the museum, while the truck with the lifting mechanism used by the perpetrators remained visible on the ramp of Quai François-Mitterrand.

The Directorate for Combating Crimes against Cultural Heritage (OCBC) and the Robbery Suppression Brigade (BRB) have taken over the investigation.

President Emmanuel Macron was informed in real time, while Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed her support for the museum workers.

National Rally leader Jordan Bardella called the robbery an unbearable humiliation for France.

Trade unions, such as Sud Culture, accused the museum's management of unprecedented security lapses, claiming that they had warned for years about the shortcomings in the security system.

The Apollo Gallery, which was the target of the robbery, is one of the most emblematic spots in the Louvre: a 17th-century decoration with painted ceilings and gold reliefs, where what remained of the jewels of the French Empire are exhibited.

It houses the Regent, the Sancy and the Hortensia – three of the most famous diamonds in the world.

The 2025 theft adds to a long history of famous robberies at the Louvre. In 1911, Italian Vincenzo Perugia stolen the Mona Lisa, which was found two years later in Florence.

In 1976, three burglars stole a diamond sword belonging to King Charles X, while in 1990 a Renoir painting was cut from its frame and disappeared.

TOTAL PANIQUE au Musée du Louvre évacué d'urgence 🤯 Braquage confirmed by Rachida Dati.

— Raspoutine (@gregraspoutine) October 19, 2025

In recent years, France has been the target of a series of attacks on museums. In September, thieves broke into the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, removing priceless scientific specimens of natural gold, while a few weeks later a museum in Limoz suffered 6.5 million euros in damage from the theft of porcelain.

Laurent Nunez admitted that not every attack can be prevented, but promised to strengthen security measures.

"We have good hope of locating them soon, thanks to the videos and the motorcycle they abandoned," he said.

The Louvre, which welcomed nearly 9 million visitors in 2024, will remain closed until the damage assessment and evidence collection are complete.

As a senior official from the Ministry of Culture noted, the damage is not economic, it is cultural; it is a piece of the French soul that was lost in seven minutes.