Louvre reopens amid security scrutiny

PARIS

The Louvre Museum reopened to visitors on Oct. 22, three days after a brazen daylight heist that saw thieves flee with royal jewels worth more than $100 million, raising serious concerns over security at France’s top cultural institutions.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said Tuesday that the stolen treasures were valued at 88 million euros ($102 million), describing the loss as “extraordinary.” She added that while the financial damage was immense, the greater blow was to France’s cultural heritage, noting that the thieves would gain little if they had “the very bad idea of melting down these jewels.”

The robbery took place on Oct. 19 and lasted just seven minutes. Investigators believe four members of an organized crime group scaled a ladder from a truck to access one of the upper floors, broke into the Apollo Gallery, and escaped on scooters. In their rush to flee, they dropped a diamond-studded crown.

Among the eight stolen pieces were an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon I to Empress Marie-Louise and a diadem once owned by Empress Eugénie, adorned with nearly 2,000 diamonds.

The Louvre remained closed to visitors on Monday and Tuesday before reopening its doors Wednesday morning, though the Apollo Gallery — the site of the theft — will stay shut during the investigation.

The high-profile robbery has reignited debate over museum security in France, following two other thefts last month. In one of those cases, a Chinese woman was charged with stealing over $1 million in gold nuggets from another Paris museum.

Authorities continue to analyze fingerprints, review surveillance footage, and track the suspects’ escape routes on major highways out of Paris.

With 9 million visitors last year, the Louvre remains the world’s most visited museum, but the theft has prompted officials to reassess security measures across France’s vast network of cultural treasures.