Louvre Reopens Apollo Gallery 9 Months After €88 Million Crown Jewels Heist
· Free Press Journal
The Louvre on Wednesday reopened its Apollo Gallery to visitors for the first time since crown jewels worth €88 million ($102 million) were stolen in a brazen daytime heist nine months ago.
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Visitors can once again admire the gallery's gilded ceilings and Greek frescoes on the way to the nearby Mona Lisa. However, the crown jewels and their display cases are no longer part of the gallery, as the museum has restored the space to its original 17th-century ceremonial purpose.
The stolen jewels remain missing.
Louvre director Christophe Leribault said the former exhibits would be relocated elsewhere in the museum, the Associated Press reports.
“It's also an opportunity to rediscover the splendid architecture and decor of this gallery,” he said.
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Leribault took charge of the Louvre in February after former director Laurence des Cars resigned following the October heist and a series of setbacks that dented confidence in the leadership of the world's most-visited museum.
French Culture Minister Catherine Pegard described the theft as a defining moment for the museum.
The Louvre’s Apollo Gallery reopens this Wednesday following an €88 million crown jewel heist. Returning to its 17th-century state, the gallery will display no jewels while museum officials prepare a new secure vault for the surviving royal treasures. pic.twitter.com/EXqXtpPMNb
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“That sinister day, when iconic pieces were taken, cannot be forgotten, and indeed, I believe, should not be,” said French Culture Minister Catherine Pegard. “It was a trauma for the entire world, which, for several days, expressed its shock and sadness in every language. It was a trauma for us, discovering the fragility of a place we thought unshakeable, and which, like so many others, proved vulnerable.”
Following the theft, the museum strengthened security by installing additional surveillance cameras and anti-intrusion systems.
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The heist took less than eight minutes, with thieves forcing their way through a window into the Apollo Gallery and stealing the crown jewels during a weekend operation. The theft stunned visitors and exposed major security weaknesses at the museum.
Improving security is a key part of the Louvre New Renaissance project, a decade-long renovation programme launched last year. The plan, estimated to cost up to €800 million ($933 million), aims to modernise the museum's infrastructure, reduce overcrowding and create a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa by 2031.