On 25 August 1939, the Louvre was closed for three days, officially for repairs. However, much of the Louvre art collection was hauled on trucks (203 vehicles transporting 1862 wooden cases) and sent to
Château de Chambord.{{cite web Some of the art pieces were too big to be fit in a truck. For example
The Raft of the Medusa had to be covered with a blanket. When the truck initially arrived at Versailles on its route to Chambord, the canvas touched an electric cable and created a short-circuit which switched off the electricity in the whole town. After that, the routes were carefully planned to avoid this type of problem, and attendants with poles were responsible for dealing with electric or phone cables.{{Citation The last art piece to leave the museum was the
Winged Victory of Samothrace, which was moved on September 3, 1939, the day the French ultimatum to Germany expired.{{cite web Throughout the war, the art pieces were clandestinely moved from château to château to avoid being taken back by the Nazis. For example, the
Mona Lisa was moved from Chambord to several castles and abbeys, to finish at the end of the war at the
Musée Ingres in
Montauban.{{cite web == The arrival of the German army in Paris ==