The Louvre Museum in Paris closed to the public on Sunday after a robbery in which nine items of great historical value were stolen.
At around 09:30 local time Sunday, a gang of four burglars broke into the museum's Apollo Gallery -- home to the French Crown Jewels and other treasures -- by smashing the gallery's windows with angle grinders after hoisting themselves up from outside on a cherry picker.
The Louvre's management had previously warned of infrastructure problems affecting the preservation and security of its collections, pending a major renovation program.