The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum, was closed to the public on Sunday following a robbery at its Paris premises, French authorities confirmed.

Minister of Culture Rachida Dati said the incident took place on Sunday morning as the museum opened.

“No injuries were reported. I am on site alongside museum staff and the police. Investigations are ongoing,” she said in a post on X.

The Louvre — home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and other globally renowned masterpieces — announced that it would remain closed for “exceptional reasons.”

While officials have yet to confirm what was stolen, French daily Le Parisien reported that the thieves allegedly entered the museum through its Seine-facing facade, where construction work is underway, and used a freight elevator to reach the Apollo Gallery. After smashing windows, they reportedly made off with “nine pieces from the jewellery collection of Napoleon and the Empress.”

The theft reportedly occurred in the Galerie d’Apollon, which houses part of France’s Crown Jewels and is among the museum’s most treasured sections.

The Louvre has a long history of thefts, the most notorious being in 1911 when Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stolen by a former employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, who hid overnight inside the museum and walked out with the painting under his coat. It was recovered two years later in Florence.

In another high-profile case, two Renaissance-era armor pieces were stolen in 1983 and recovered nearly four decades later.

Housing over 33,000 artworks ranging from antiquities and sculptures to paintings, the Louvre typically attracts up to 30,000 visitors daily.

Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation into the latest theft, while the museum remains temporarily closed.