Louvre reopens after €88M jewel heist

The Louvre Museum welcomed visitors for the first time Wednesday morning since a brazen daylight heist that saw thieves escape with €88 million ($102 million) worth of historic royal jewels, as French President Emmanuel Macron ordered stepped-up security measures and the museum's director faced intense Senate questioning over security failures.ewn+4

The world's most visited museum reopened at 9 a.m. to long lines beneath its iconic glass pyramid, just three days after four masked criminals used a cherry picker and power tools to steal eight priceless artifacts from the Apollo Gallery in under eight minutes. The gallery where Sunday's theft occurred remained sealed to the public.dw+4

Director Admits "Terrible Failure," Offers Resignation

Museum director Laurence des Cars made her first public statement since the heist during a Senate culture committee hearing Wednesday, acknowledging what she called a "terrible failure" and revealing she had offered to resign but was refused by the culture ministry.abcnews.go+3

"Despite our efforts, despite our hard work on a daily basis, we failed," des Cars told lawmakers, admitting the museum had inadequate security camera coverage of its exterior walls. She revealed that "the only camera installed is directed westward and therefore did not cover the balcony involved in the break-in".lemonde+1

The theft exposed significant security gaps at the institution, including the fact that one-third of rooms in the Denon Wing—where both the Apollo Gallery and Mona Lisa are housed—lack CCTV cameras. Des Cars requested that the Interior Ministry evaluate establishing a police station near the museum.artnews+2

Massive Investigation Underway as Thieves Remain at Large

More than 100 investigators are hunting for the criminals who used an electric ladder to access the second-floor gallery, cut through a window with a disc cutter, and smashed display cases with an angle grinder. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the investigation "is progressing," with four suspects identified.dw+4

The stolen treasures include an emerald-and-diamond necklace Napoleon I gave his wife Empress Marie-Louise and a diadem belonging to Empress Eugénie adorned with nearly 2,000 diamonds. The thieves dropped a diamond-encrusted crown during their escape on motorcycles.nytimes+6

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau called the financial loss "extraordinary" but emphasized that "the greater damage was to France's historical heritage". She warned that if thieves dismantle the jewels to sell components, they would realize far less than the estimated value.ewn+4

Pattern of French Museum Thefts Raises Security Concerns

The Louvre heist follows a string of recent thefts targeting French cultural institutions. Last month, criminals stole gold nuggets worth €1.5 million from Paris's Natural History Museum, and thieves took porcelain works valued at €7.6 million from a museum in Limoges. A 24-year-old Chinese woman was arrested in Barcelona in connection with the Natural History Museum theft.ewn+4

Union representatives have long complained about understaffing at the Louvre, noting security personnel numbers dropped from 994 in 2014 to 856 in 2023. In June, museum workers staged a walkout over "untenable" working conditions and chronic understaffing.nytimes+3

During Wednesday's cabinet meeting, Macron ordered a "speeding up" of security measures at the Louvre. The theft has intensified scrutiny of museum security protocols nationwide, with experts warning the stolen jewels may already be lost forever if criminals choose to melt them down for individual components.opb+6