Thousands of people wait as Paris Louvre museum closes
The Louvre Museum in Paris postponed its opening on Monday, leaving thousands of visitors stranded in long lines outside its iconic glass pyramid.
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Thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris through a window on October 19, stealing “priceless” jewelry before fleeing on a motorbike, the French government said.
The interior ministry said the robbers broke into the Apollon Museum building, which houses the French Crown Jewels, at around 9:30 a.m., when the museum was already open to the public.
It has not been revealed specifically what was photographed.
“An investigation has been launched and a detailed list of stolen items has been compiled. These items have valuable heritage and historical value beyond their market value,” the statement said.
No injuries were reported among the public, Louvre staff or law enforcement officers, it added.
The Louvre, the world’s most visited museum and home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, announced to X that it would remain closed for the day due to “exceptional reasons.”
Earlier this year, Louvre officials requested emergency aid from the French government to repair and renovate the museum’s dilapidated exhibition halls and better protect its countless works of art.
Last year, the Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors.
(Reporting by Sybil de la Hamade and John Cotton; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Alison Williams)
