Mona Lisa

PARIS — In a minutes-long strike Sunday inside the world’s most-visited museum, thieves rode a basket lift to the Louvre, forced a window into the Galerie d’Apollon — while tourists pressed shoulder-to-shoulder in the corridors — smashed display cases and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels, officials said.

It was among the highest-profile museum thefts in recent memory and comes as Louvre employees have complained of worker and security understaffing.

One object was later found outside the museum, according to Culture Minister Rachida Dati. French daily Le Parisien reported it was the emerald-studded crown of Napoleon III’s wife Empress Eugénie — gold, diamonds and sculpted eagles — recovered just beyond the walls, broken.

The theft unfolded just 270 yards from the “Mona Lisa,” in what Dati described as “a four-minute operation.” No one was hurt.

Images from the scene showed confused tourists being steered out of the glass pyramid and adjoining courtyards as officers closed nearby streets along the Seine.

Also visible was a lift braced to the Seine-facing facade near a construction zone — an extraordinary vulnerability at a palace-museum.

A museum already under strain

Around 9:30 a.m., several intruders forced a window, cut panes with a disc cutter and went straight for the vitrines, officials said. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the crew entered from outside using a basket lift.

The choice of target compounded the shock. The vaulted Galerie d’Apollon in the Denon wing, capped by a ceiling painted for Louis XIV, displays a selection of the French Crown Jewels. The thieves are believed to have approached via the riverfront facade, where construction is underway, used a freight elevator to reach the hall, took nine pieces from a 23-item collection linked to Napoleon and the Empress, and made off on motorbikes, according to Le Parisien.

Daylight robberies during public hours are rare. Pulling one off inside the Louvre — with visitors present — ranks among Europe’s most audacious since Dresden’s Green Vault museum in 2019, and the most serious in France in more than a decade.

It also collides with a deeper tension the Louvre has struggled to resolve: swelling crowds and stretched staff. The museum delayed opening during a June staff walkout over overcrowding and chronic understaffing. Unions say mass tourism leaves too few eyes on too many rooms and creates pressure points where construction zones, freight routes and visitor flows meet.

Security around marquee works remains tight — the Mona Lisa is behind bulletproof glass in a bespoke, climate-controlled case.

It’s unclear whether staffing levels played any role in Sunday’s breach.

The Louvre has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies. The most famous came in 1911, when the Mona Lisa vanished from its frame, stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia and recovered two years later in Florence.

Today the former royal palace holds a roll call of civilization: Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa”; the armless serenity of the “Venus de Milo”; the “Winged Victory” of Samothrace, wind-lashed on the Daru staircase; the Code of Hammurabi’s carved laws; Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People”; Géricault’s “The Raft of the Medusa.” More than 33,000 works — from Mesopotamia, Egypt and the classical world to Europe’s masters — draw a daily tide of up to 30,000 visitors even as investigators now begin to sweep those gilded corridors for clues.

Politics at the door

The heist spilled instantly into politics. Far-right leader Jordan Bardella used it to attack President Emmanuel Macron, weakened at home and facing a fractured Parliament.

“The Louvre is a global symbol of our culture,” Bardella wrote on X. “This robbery, which allowed thieves to steal jewels from the French Crown, is an unbearable humiliation for our country. How far will the decay of the state go?”

The criticism lands as Macron touts a decade-long “Louvre New Renaissance” plan — about $800 million to modernize infrastructure, ease crowding and give the “Mona Lisa” a dedicated gallery by 2031. For workers on the floor, the relief has felt slower than the pressure.

What we know — and don’t

Forensic teams are examining the site of the crime and adjoining access points while a full inventory is taken, authorities said. Officials have described the haul as being of “inestimable” historical value.

Recovery may prove difficult. “It’s unlikely these jewels will ever be seen again,” said Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds. “Professional crews often break down and re-cut large, recognizable stones to evade detection, effectively erasing their provenance.”

The Louvre closed for the rest of Sunday as police sealed gates, cleared courtyards and shut nearby streets along the Seine.

Key questions still unanswered are how many people took part in the theft and whether they had inside assistance, authorities said. According to French media, there were four perpetrators: two dressed as construction workers in yellow safety vests on the lift, and two each on a scooter.

Investigators are reviewing closed-circuit TV from the Denon wing and the riverfront, inspecting the basket lift used to reach the gallery and interviewing staffers who were on site when the museum opened, authorities said.

Adamson writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

June 17 (UPI) — The Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa and other iconic works of art in Paris, closed abruptly Monday as the museum’s staff staged an impromptu strike over a surge of tourists who were left standing in long lines.

Ticket agents, gallery attendants and security refused to return to work, following a morning union meeting, citing overcrowding and understaffing. After four hours of talks with management, the Louvre reopened to confused and tired visitors.

Monday’s strike comes after French President Emmanuel Macron announced earlier this year that the centuries-old Louvre would undergo renovations to include a separate wing for the Mona Lisa to control crowds better.

The “New Renaissance” project, which will repair and modernize the former royal palace, will take a decade to complete. Ticket prices are slated to go up next year for tourists who do not live in the European Union to help pay for the project.

Last year alone, 8.7 million tourists visited the Louvre with many complaining about insufficient signage, tight spaces and lack of restrooms. The Louvre was originally designed to accommodate 4 million visitors a year.

Louvre President Laurence des Cars, who was appointed in 2021, limited visitors to 30,000 a day after attendance surged in 2018 to more than 10 million. He has warned that parts of the museum are “no longer watertight” and that fluctuating temperatures could damage the priceless artwork.

The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum, has withstood war, terror, and pandemic – but on Monday, it was brought to a halt by its own striking staff, who say the institution is crumbling under the weight of mass tourism

The Louvre was thrust into shutdown by a staff walkout, with workers arguing it is buckling under the strain of excessive tourism.

In what seemed an unimaginable scene, the sanctuary housing da Vinci masterpieces and centuries of cultural marvels was brought to a halt on Monday. Countless tourists, clutching their entry passes, were left languishing in long queues underneath I. M. Pei’s famed glass pyramid.

Kevin Ward, 62, from Milwaukee, said: “Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even (the Mona Lisa) needs a day off.”

The busiest museum in the world was brought to a halt the day after anti-tourism demonstrations rippled through southern Europe. Protesters assembled in Mallorca, Venice, Lisbon and further afield, criticising an economic regimen they claim marginalises residents and undermines city life.

READ MORE: Spain warning for Brits as new holiday rule comes into force from July 1

The Louvre was hit by an unexpected strike during a routine meeting when gallery attendants, ticket agents and security staff refused to work, protesting against overwhelming crowds, insufficient staffing and what has been described by one union as “untenable” working conditions.

It’s a rarity for the Louvre to shut its doors unexpectedly. The museum has closed in times of war, during the pandemic, and on the occasion of a few strikes – including impromptu walkouts due to overcrowding in 2019 and safety concerns in 2013.

However, it is unusual for such closures to occur so abruptly, without prior notice, and in plain sight of waiting visitors.

Moreover, this disruption occurs mere months after President Emmanuel Macron announced an ambitious ten-year plan aimed at addressing the very issues now coming to a head – water damage, hazardous temperature fluctuations, antiquated infrastructure, and visitor numbers exceeding the museum’s capacity.

Yet, for the employees on the front line, the proposed improvements seem a long way off. “We can’t wait six years for help,” declared Sarah Sefian, a gallery attendant and visitor services agent. “Our teams are under pressure now. It’s not just about the art – it’s about the people protecting it.”

At the heart of the turmoil is the Mona Lisa – the iconic 16th-century painting that attracts contemporary throngs more reminiscent of a celebrity meet-and-greet than a traditional art viewing.

An estimated 20,000 visitors cram daily into the Salle des États, the Louvre’s most expansive chamber, all eager to capture a selfie with Leonardo da Vinci’s mysterious lady behind her protective glass. The atmosphere is often chaotic, bustling, and so crowded that numerous visitors overlook the surrounding masterpieces by Titian and Veronese, which remain underappreciated.

READ MORE: Tourist warning to 10 million as Europe’s hottest capital on alertREAD MORE: Universal set to tick off big milestone for huge UK theme park

“You don’t see a painting,” lamented Ji-Hyun Park, 28, who travelled from Seoul to Paris. “You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then, you’re pushed out.”

President Macron’s strategy for revolutionising the museum, labelled the “Louvre New Renaissance,”, aims to offer a solution. The Mona Lisa is set to be housed in a new, specially designated space, with timed-entry tickets to facilitate better viewing experiences.

Plans also include inaugurating a fresh entrance near the Seine River by 2031 to alleviate congestion at the current pyramid entry point. “Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves,” Macron declared in January.

Nonetheless, Louvre staff have accused Macron of hypocrisy, arguing that the proposed 700 million to 800 million-euro renovation plan conceals an underlying issue. Despite Macron’s commitment to creating new access points and exhibition areas, the museum’s yearly governmental subsidies have plummeted over 20% in the past ten years, a period when visitor figures dramatically increased.

“We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum,” Sefian remarked, expressing discontent over the state’s diminishing financial contributions year on year.

While many striking staff intend to stay off work for the entire day, Sefian mentioned that some may briefly return to open a limited “masterpiece route” for a few hours, granting visitors access to key attractions like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The full museum is expected to resume normal operations by Wednesday, and tourists with time-sensitive tickets from Monday might have the opportunity to use them then.

The Louvre saw 8.7 million visitors last year, which is more than twice what its facilities were designed for. Despite imposing a daily limit of 30,000 visitors, staff report that the experience has become an everyday challenge, citing insufficient rest areas, scarce bathrooms, and intensified summer heat due to the pyramid’s greenhouse effect.