Louvre’s Apollo Gallery Reopens Without Crown Jewels

The Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, located in Paris, reopened to the public on Wednesday for the first time since a daylight heist resulted in the theft of Crown jewels valued at 88 million euros (102 million dollars). Visitors can explore the grand hall’s gilded ceilings and Greek frescoes on their way to the nearby Mona Lisa, but they won’t see any Crown jewels or empty cases. The previous collections and treasured jewels have been removed as the museum returns the gallery to its original 17th-century ceremonial purpose. The stolen jewels remain unrecovered nine months after the incident.

Christophe Leribault, the Louvre’s director, shared that the former exhibits will be relocated within the museum. “It is also an opportunity to rediscover the splendid architecture and decor of this gallery,” Leribault stated. He assumed the director role in February after previous director Laurence des Cars resigned following the October jewel heist and a series of security failures that undermined trust in the leadership of the world’s most visited museum.

French Culture Minister, Catherine Pegard, remarked, “That dark day, when iconic pieces were taken, cannot be forgotten and, I believe, should not be forgotten. It was a trauma for everyone, expressed in all languages, as the fragility of a place we thought unbreakable was exposed.”

The Parisian museum’s security has been enhanced with new surveillance cameras and anti-intrusion systems. During the robbery, the thieves took less than eight minutes to break in through a window in the Apollo Gallery and steal Crown jewels worth 88 million euros (102 million dollars), leaving visitors shocked and revealing significant security vulnerabilities.

Improving security is a priority of the ten-year “Louvre New Renaissance” plan, initiated last year, with an estimated cost of up to 800 million euros (933 million dollars) to modernize infrastructure, reduce crowding, and provide a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa by 2031.