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The Louvre Museum in Paris reopened to visitors on Wednesday, three days after closing due to the theft of valuable royal jewelry, an AFP journalist observed.
Starting at 9:00 a.m. (7:00 a.m. GMT), the museum’s doors opened for the first time since the incident, although the Apollo Gallery—where the theft took place on Sunday—remains closed. Despite the security breach, the museum’s main halls buzzed with activity once again.
The daring daylight heist unfolded shortly after the museum’s opening on Sunday and resulted in estimated losses of approximately 88 million euros ($102 million). The Paris prosecutor described the theft as “unmatched,” yet it pales in comparison to the damage inflicted on France’s cultural heritage.
Investigators are actively pursuing leads, operating under the assumption that an organized crime group used a ladder on a truck to access the building, during which they dropped a diamond-studded crown as they fled the scene. They managed to steal eight priceless artifacts, including an emerald and diamond necklace once gifted by Napoleon I to Empress Marie-Louise, and a diadem once owned by Empress Eugenie, adorned with nearly 2,000 diamonds.
On the day following the theft, disappointed tourists were turned away at the museum’s entrance, and it remained closed on Tuesday in accordance with its usual schedule. However, by Wednesday, visitors were welcomed back amid a sense of relief.
One visitor named Fanny, who traveled from southern France with her daughter, expressed her wishes: “We really hoped it would be open. We had booked for today, and we wouldn’t have had another chance to come.”
With nine million visitors last year, the Louvre remains the world’s most visited museum, renowned for its extensive collection of art and historical artifacts.
The theft has reignited debates over the security measures within French museums, especially after two other institutions were targeted last month. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that the investigation “is advancing,” with over a hundred law enforcement officials involved.
He also expressed confidence: “I am certain we will identify the perpetrators.”
Museum director Laurence des Cars has not publicly commented since the incident but is scheduled to testify before the Senate’s culture committee later Wednesday. Des Cars, who broke a glass ceiling as the first woman to lead the Louvre in 2021, is expected to be questioned about the security protocols at the Apollo Gallery, which houses the royal jewelry collection.
In response to criticism that the display cases used to protect the stolen jewelry were fragile, the museum asserted that they were upgraded in 2019 and that security has significantly improved since then.
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