On Sunday morning, October 19, 2025, one of the most audacious thefts in the history of the Louvre occurred. Four masked perpetrators, impersonating workers, broke into the Apollo Gallery – the place where the crown jewels of the rulers of France are exhibited. In just seven minutes, they stole nine priceless items belonging to Empress Eugenie, Queen Maria Amelia and Queen Hydrangea. Therefore, we remind you of our text about the famous theft from 1911, when the painting “Mona Lisa” disappeared from the Louvre.
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“Mona Lisa” enjoys a cult status and is visited by millions of tourists every year at the Louvre in Paris. She “worked” for years for her success, and the theft actually made her world famous. Leonardo da Vinci painted the painting around 1507, but it was not until 1860 that critics hailed it as a masterpiece of Renaissance painting. Despite the recognition of experts, the work was known mainly in the circles of the French intelligentsia. Everything changed on August 21, 1911.
The theft that gave birth to the legend of the Mona Lisa
Until that day, the Mona Lisa wasn't even the most famous painting in the gallery, let alone all the works of art in the Louvre. The thieves, who had spent the night in the broom closet, entered the Carre Salon, took advantage of the opportune moment, took the painting off the wall and took it. The theft occurred on Monday morning, but it was only on Tuesday noon that it was realized that the painting could have fallen victim to thieves.
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The head of the section where the painting was located called the captain of the guard, who in turn informed the curator about the incident. The prefect of the Paris police later learned about the case and contacted the National Criminal Investigation Department. 60 inspectors and over 100 gendarmes rushed to the museum. The doors of the museum were locked, and then the interrogations of visitors and a great search began. Every closet and every corner was checked, room by room, floor by floor, the 49 acres occupied by the Louvre were subjected to a thorough search. In vain. The painting was missing not only in the gallery, but also in Paris.
The news of the theft of the century shocked the world and appeared on the front pages of all major newspapers. Questions immediately arose as to who could be behind such a daring act. Suspicion fell on everyone, from the cleaners and workers working at the Louvre, the security guards, and the museum administrators themselves. One executive was fired, another was suspended, and conservators were fined, interrogated and vilified.
The “Mona Lisa” attracts crowds of tourists to the Louvre every yearPAP/Abaca / PAP
Interestingly, Pablo Picasso himself was questioned in the case and was considered one of the suspects. A shadow also fell on the American financial tycoon JP Morgan, who allegedly ordered the theft.
Paris police blamed the Louvre authorities for insufficient security measures. Internal fighting also continued within law enforcement, as various departments argued and put obstacles in each other's way, making the search difficult.
The Parisian apartment where Peruggia kept the “Mona Lisa” for 28 monthsPAP/Newscom / PAP
After a week's break, the Louvre opened to visitors, and thousands of Parisians could see with their own eyes that the Salon Carre was empty after the missing “Mona Lisa”. The atmosphere was like a funeral. The French did not come to terms with the loss of their national treasure, although over time they began to joke about the whole situation, there were cartoons, songs about the lost painting and questions about when someone would finally steal the Eiffel Tower.
Three Italians were behind the steal of the century
Meanwhile, the thieves planned to sell the painting. Three Italians were behind the entire action: the brothers Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti and the brains of the operation and an employee of the Louvre, Vincenzo Peruggia. The robbery was so widely reported that the valuable item became a hot potato, and trying to get rid of it would result in a quick arrest. The thieves knew they couldn't get away with it. Peruggia hid the painting in his modest apartment, just a few blocks from the Louvre.
In November 1913, 28 months after the robbery, Peruggia finally decided to sell the “Mona Lisa” to an art dealer in Florence. However, the potential buyer was suspicious and asked the head of the Italian gallery to take a look at the painting. The stamp on the back confirmed its authenticity. Peruggia was told by the trader that he would soon receive his payment. To his surprise, he did not receive the money, and half an hour after returning home, police officers showed up at his door. The thief was arrested.
“Mona Lisa” after the painting was recovered from the hands of thieves in 1913.PAP/Newscom / PAP
Peruggia tried to explain that he stole the Mona Lisa for patriotic reasons. He said that the painting had been stolen by Napoleon's troops and he intended to return it to Italy. The work of art was returned to the Louvre with great pomp, where it remains to this day, visited by millions of tourists. The unlucky thief as the mastermind of the operation was sentenced to eight months in prison. Just a few days later, Europe stopped talking about the leap of the century. World War I broke out and the inhabitants of the Old Continent had to redirect their attention to completely different matters.
