Located in Paris, France, the Louvre is a museum known for its architecture and vast collection of over 35,000 artworks, some of which include the renowned Mona Lisa and the intricate sculpture, Venus de Milo. However, on October 19, 2025, the Louvre’s history would be completely transformed by a notorious heist.
The Louvre Heist took place only thirty minutes after the Louvre opened itself to visitors at 9:30 A.M. local time. A gang broke into the museum’s prestigious Galerie d’Apollon, where the collection of French Crown Jewels are held. The robbers disguised themselves as construction workers, wearing bright yellow and orange vests. Two of the gang’s members, whose faces were hidden by masks, gained entry into the museum’s first-story balcony using a furniture lift. After reaching the balcony, they used a disc cutter, cutting through glass in order to enter the gallery which triggered security alarms. The robbers threatened guards with their power tools and took nine pieces from the display cases. Soon, they escaped through the furniture lift and left with other members of the crew on motor scooters.
The crew managed to steal nine artifacts from the museum. However, during their escape, they dropped the Crown of Empress Eugenie in the street, bringing their total haul down to eight. In spite of the robbery lasting an estimated eight minutes, the value of the pieces the robbers stole amounted to 102 million dollars.
Although two of the robbers were detained, the majority of the crew was never caught. Furthermore, the items stolen were never located other than the Crown of Empress Eugenie. French President Emmanuel Macron classified the robbery as “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history”. This heist created lots of anger amongst French civilians, who were in shock as to how such a renowned institution could enable such a simple robbery. It was a wake-up call for the museum’s security branch, as it contained many errors that paved the way for the breach. As of December 2025, police have no confirmed leads as to where the jewels could be stored, begging the question as to whether or not they will be uncovered in the near future.
