An investigation has been launched into the incident, France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati wrote on X. The museum said that it will remain closed Sunday “for exceptional reasons.”
Local media reports said the culprits wore hoods and carried small chainsaws.
According the French daily Le Parisien, the thieves accessed the building on the Seine docks, where work is taking place. The robbers took nine pieces from the Napoleon and the Empress jewelry collection, the newspaper said.
A guard is patrolling the north side of the building. The doors remain shut this Sunday. | Ferdinand Knapp/POLITICO
The interior ministry said a detailed list of the stolen items is being compiled. “Beyond their market value, these items have inestimable heritage and historical value,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Regent, the largest diamond in the collection weighing more than 140 carats, was not stolen, according to the Parisien report.
The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum and houses many famous artworks and other valuable items.