Paris woke up to a cinematic scene on Sunday morning — but this time, it wasn’t a movie.
A group of professional thieves broke into the Louvre Museum, one of the most famous cultural landmarks in the world, and escaped with what France’s interior minister called “priceless historical jewels.”

The robbery, which took less than four minutes, unfolded just after the museum opened its doors. According to Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the suspects moved “calmly,” smashing display cases, taking their loot, and vanishing without violence. A crane mounted on a truck was reportedly used to gain access to the Galerie d’Apollon, home to France’s Crown Jewels and part of the museum’s most iconic wing.

Police evacuated the Louvre, sealing off the area and closing the museum “for exceptional reasons.” One of the stolen pieces — believed to be the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III — was later found broken outside the museum, apparently dropped during the thieves’ escape.

While authorities have not confirmed the total value or exact number of missing items, French media report that nine pieces from the collection of Napoleon and the Empress were stolen.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the operation was “clearly planned in advance,” noting that the thieves had scouted the site and cut through glass with precision tools. “They knew exactly what they were doing,” he said.

The theft echoes a troubling pattern of high-profile European museum raids — from the 2019 Dresden Green Vault diamond heist to Berlin’s 2017 gold coin theft — and raises serious concerns about security at the Louvre, which welcomed 8.7 million visitors in 2024.

Ironically, this is not the first time the Louvre has made headlines for a heist. The museum’s most famous theft dates back to 1911, when the Mona Lisa vanished for two years, only to reappear in Florence. That daring act turned the portrait into the world’s most recognizable artwork.

Today, over a century later, the Louvre once again finds itself at the center of an art-world mystery — a modern echo of an old legend, and a reminder that even the world’s greatest museum isn’t immune to the allure of the perfect crime.