The Louvre in Paris, the world’s most-visited museum, has suddenly closed for the day after the French culture minister said there had a been a robbery.
“A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum,” Rachida Dati wrote on social media. She used the French word braquage, which can mean robbery or hold-up.
She added: “No injuries reported. I’m on site with museum staff and police.”
At least one person had entered the museum, a member of her team told Agence France-Presse, without adding anything about any possible theft.
The Louvre, said it was closing for the day “for exceptional reasons”, without providing further details on what had been stolen.
One of the largest arts centres on the planet, the Louvre attracts more than 8 million visitors a year. Its works range from classical sculpture to Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s 16-century masterpiece and the world’s most famous portrait.
Earlier this year, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced a major new renovation of the museum after its director warned that visiting the overcrowded building had become a “physical ordeal”.
In a note to the cultural ministry leaked to the media in January, the Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars, had said the space below the museum’s glass pyramid entrance was not properly insulated from the cold or heat, tended to amplify noise, and was uncomfortable for both the public and the staff.
Des Cars also raised the alarm over water leaks, failing infrastructure and temperature swings which endanger the conservation of works of art. Visitors faced overcrowding and substandard facilities, she said.