(MENAFN) The Louvre Museum in Paris was closed on Sunday following a robbery, according to local authorities. Unverified reports suggest that several thieves stole nine items from the Napoleonic jewelry collection.

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati reported on X that “a robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum.” She confirmed there were no injuries and said a police investigation is ongoing, without providing further details. The museum itself announced it would remain closed for the day due to “exceptional reasons.”

According to a major French newspaper citing preliminary findings, hooded intruders entered the museum through a building under construction and used a freight elevator to reach the Apollo Gallery, home to part of France’s historic royal jewelry. The thieves reportedly made off with nine pieces from the collection of Napoleon and the Empress, including a necklace, a brooch, a tiara, and other items. The 140-carat Regent Diamond, valued at over $60 million, was reportedly untouched.

The newspaper also reported that one of the stolen items—a broken crown of Empress Eugenie, Napoleon III’s wife—was found outside the museum.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters that the robbery lasted only seven minutes, noting that the criminals “had been clearly scouting.” He added, “can’t prevent everything,” and acknowledged the “great vulnerability in French museums.”

The last recorded theft at the Louvre occurred in 1983, when two Renaissance metalwork pieces—a ceremonial helmet and breastplate—were stolen and later recovered in Belgium in 2021.

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