Vincenzo Peruggia Vincenzo Peruggia Vincenzo Peruggia (October 8, 1881 – October 8, 1925) was an Italian thief, most famous for stealing the "Mona Lisa" on 21 August 1911. Born in Dumenza, Varese, Italy, he died in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France. In 1911, Peruggia perpetrated what has been described as the greatest art theft of the 20th century. It was a police theory that the former Louvre worker hid inside the museum on Sunday, August 20, knowing the museum would be closed the following day. But, according to Peruggia's interrogation in Florence after his arrest, he entered the museum on Monday, August 21 around 7
Evacuation of the Louvre museum art collection during World War II responsible of the conservation of the French art collections under the Kunstschutz principle, arrived in Paris to oversee France’s art collection, but the museum was almost empty. He knew what was going on but voluntarily did not do anything. Evacuation of the Louvre museum art collection during World War II During the beginning of the German invasions during World War II, Jacques Jaujard, the director of the French Musées Nationaux, foreshadowed the fall of France and decided to organize the evacuation of the Louvre art collection in province. On 25 August 1939, the Louvre was closed for 3 days, officially