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The world-famous Louvre museum in Paris has closed after a gang stole jewellery worth millions.
The gang raided the art museum over the weekend taking jewellery once belonging to Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte, leading to its closure on Sunday.
Rachida Dati, France‘s Culture Minister, said: ‘I am on site alongside the museum staff and the police.’
She said a criminal enquiry had been launched, and that detectives were liaising with museum staff.
According to Ms Dati, nobody was hurt during the raids, while a Louvre spokesman confirmed the museum was shut ‘for exceptional reasons’.
Police sources meanwhile told Le Parisien that ‘the criminals gained access to the building on the Seine River side’, where construction work is underway.
The world-famous Louvre museum in Paris has closed after a gang stole jewellery worth millions (Stock Photo)
The gang raided the art museum over the weekend taking jewellery once belonging to Napoleon, pictured left in a painting circa 1800, and Josephine Bonaparte, centre
‘They used a freight elevator that leads directly to the targeted room,’ they said.
‘After breaking windows, two men entered, stealing nine pieces from Napoleon and the Empress’s jewelry collection – a necklace, a brooch, and more.’
After being crowned Emperor and Empress of France in 1804, Napoleon and Josephine amassed one of the most impressive jewellery collections ever.
Many of the pieces were stolen from royalty during the French Revolution, while others were amassed from around the Empire.
