On Sunday morning, art thieves pulled off one of the largest art thefts in history at the Louvre Museum in Paris. This required an abrupt closure of the beloved museum. At 9:30 AM local time, a group of experienced thieves used an angle grinder to gain access to one of the museum’s most ornate rooms, stealing jewels described by officials as having “inestimable heritage value.”
The museum’s director had already admitted that the surge in visitors had made the day-to-day experience a “physical ordeal.” The eye popping Louvre draws more than 8 million visitors annually. It is now one of the largest and most visited art museums in the world. This tragic event has understandably ignited urgent worries for the public’s safety and security inside the historic structure.
Laurent Nuñez, the French interior minister, at the crime scene the day after the jeweler’s robbery. He confirmed that “priceless” jewels were taken from the Louvre, which houses a vast collection that includes classical sculptures and Leonardo da Vinci’s famed Mona Lisa.
“A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum,” – Rachida Dati
After the theft, police forced the museum to close in order to secure evidence from the scene and conduct an investigation. The Paris prosecutor has since opened a preliminary inquiry into the incidents.
The timing of the robbery could not be worse, as it casts a heavy shadow over current negotiations on the museum’s future. French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to completely renovate the Louvre, announced late last month, are incredibly ambitious. He pivoted to promoting visitor experience with an eye toward protecting the museum’s unmatched treasures.
Additionally, the museum contains the Apollon Gallery which hosts the French crown jewels, an irreplaceable piece of France’s cultural heritage. Museum officials can’t believe this brazen act. It has prompted serious discussion about how this world-famous destination can up its security game.
“They stole jewels which have a real heritage value, an inestimable heritage value,” – Laurent Nuñez