PARIS — The Louvre Museum’s Apollo Gallery has reopened, but it is missing one thing that drew visitors to its opulent room—the sparkling jewels.
Reuters reported that the legendary Paris museum opened the doors to the gallery lined with awe-inspiring 17th-century decor, but the jewels it once contained have been moved to a more secure location for display.
The Times called the room ‘the grandest stateroom in the Louvre."
The Apollo Gallery’s closure and the treasures’ relocation were prompted by a brazen daylight burglary in which burglars stole crown jewels worth $102 million.
Two men in October used a mover’s lift to get to the room’s balcony, smashed a window, then broke open displays using angle grinders. They zoomed away on scooters driven by accomplices. The operation lasted less than seven minutes. The jewels have not been found, Reuters reported.
Four people are in custody and charged in connection with the theft.
The gallery was created during the reign of King Louis XIV by Louis Le Vau and Charles Le Brun and was inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. It was themed to the sun to honor the “Sun King.”
Culture Minister Catherine Pegard called the reopening of the hallowed hall a new beginning for the museum. She also pledged to increase security at museums across France.
As for the jewels that will be on display, including the Regent, Sancy and Hortensia diamonds, they will be in a secure room with no windows, along with other displays.
The crown of Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III, was initially taken by the robbers, but they dropped it in the street. It is being repaired, but museum director Christophe Leribault said: “almost no pieces are missing.”
“The idea is to start afresh. Rather than displaying all the other showcases except the two that were targeted, we are going to restore the Galerie d’Apollon to its original function and status as a ceremonial state gallery,” Leribault said, according to The Times.
The Louvre is the most-visited museum in the world with about nine million visitors, The Times reported.