Paris’ Louvre museum reopened its famed Apollo gallery to the public on July 22, nine months after thieves stole French crown jewels valued at over $100 million in a high-profile robbery that prompted renewed scrutiny of museum security.
No jewelry is being displayed in the gallery, according to stories about the reopening from the Associated Press and Reuters. Louvre director Christophe Leribault said the jewels formerly exhibited in the Apollo have been removed and will be relocated elsewhere in the museum.
Reopening the gallery without the jewelry allows visitors to focus on its historic architecture and decor, he added.
Known for its gilded ornamentation and painted ceilings, the elaborately decorated space was developed in the 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV, and served as an inspiration for the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
Last fall’s Louvre heist was one of the most significant jewelry-related museum crimes in recent years. Thieves used a ladder truck to reach a second-story window, broke into the gallery in broad daylight, breached display cases, and escaped with the jewels in less than seven minutes.
Four suspects have been charged in the robbery, but most of the stolen pieces have not been recovered. A crown that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, was recovered near the museum in damaged condition and is being restored.
The robbery triggered leadership changes and stronger security measures at the Louvre. Laurence des Cars resigned as director, and the museum added surveillance cameras and anti-intrusion systems as part of a modernization effort.
“That sinister day, when iconic pieces were taken, cannot be forgotten, and indeed, I believe, should not be,” said Catherine Pegard, the French culture minister. “It was a trauma for us, discovering the fragility of a place we thought unshakable.”
The JCK News Desk uses AI to help research and produce the first draft of articles. This story was then reviewed by staff writer David Blomquist.
Top: The Louvre’s Apollo gallery in 2024 (photo from Wikipedia)
- Subscribe to the JCK News Daily
- Subscribe to the JCK Special Report
- Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
- Follow JCK on X: @jckmagazine
- Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
