From the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 to the French Crown Jewels heist this past weekend, the Parisian museum has seen some audacious crimes over the decades.

One of the most infamous heists in the cultural institution’s history was the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa—when Pablo Picasso numbered among the suspects.

Museum heists, particularly ones involving historic and valuable items, have shocked the world and inspired mystery and suspicion for more than a century.

Never say never. The Mona Lisa (1503), undoubtedly the main attraction at the Louvre, was stolen in 1911 and recovered two years later. The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, was an Italian handyman working at the Louvre and was caught trying to sell it.

Authorities were racing Monday to reassure the public about security at key cultural sites — and find the jewels stolen from the museum before they can be broken up and melted down.

On Tuesday August 22, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Musée du Louvre under everyone's noses. In the early hours of the morning, painter Louis Béroud, accompanied by engraver Frédéric Laguillermie, went to the Salon Carré of the Louvre. The two artists, both regulars, were planning to sketch, as usual, a painting on display in the museum.

Leonardo da Vinci started the iconic 'Mona Lisa' painting in Italy but finished it in France, where he sold it to the French King, François I.

The Louvre has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies. The most famous came in 1911, when the Mona Lisa vanished from its frame, stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, a former worker who hid inside the museum and walked out with the painting under his coat.

After lifting themselves up to a balcony outside the Gallery of Apollo, the thieves reportedly cut through glass windows with a battery-powered disc cutter to gain access to the museum. The BBC reported that the robbers then threatened guards waiting on duty and then stole items from two separate display cases. The robbers then fled on motorbikes.