One of the Louvre Museum’s most celebrated rooms has reopened to the public after remaining closed for months following a spectacular jewellery theft that stunned France and the museum world.
The Galerie d’Apollon, or Apollo Gallery, welcomed visitors again on Wednesday, almost nine months after thieves carried out a carefully planned robbery that resulted in the theft of French Crown Jewels worth an estimated €88 million (about $102 million). While the gallery’s ornate ceilings, paintings and decorative interiors are once again accessible, its famous jewellery displays are no longer part of the exhibition.
Crown Jewels moved to a more secure location
Louvre director Christophe Leribault said the gallery would no longer house the Crown Jewels and gemstones that had been displayed there for decades. Instead, the collection is being relocated to secure exhibition spaces elsewhere in the museum.
The decision reflects a major shift in how the museum intends to protect some of France’s most valuable historical treasures following last year’s robbery.
A robbery that exposed security concerns
The theft took place on 19 October when masked suspects used a truck equipped with mechanical lifting equipment to reach a balcony overlooking the gallery. After forcing their way inside, the group targeted display cases containing historic jewels before escaping within minutes.
Investigators later charged several suspects, but authorities have yet to recover most of the stolen items. One exception was the damaged crown of Empress Eugénie, which was recovered shortly after the robbery and is undergoing restoration.
A gallery with royal history
The Apollo Gallery is among the Louvre’s most historically significant spaces. Designed during the reign of King Louis XIV, its richly decorated interior later served as inspiration for the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.
For well over a century, the gallery displayed surviving pieces of the French Crown Jewels, making it one of the museum’s most visited attractions beyond its renowned art collections.
Security overhaul follows the incident
The robbery prompted renewed scrutiny of security arrangements at the world’s most visited museum. Museum officials have since strengthened protection measures while broader modernization plans for the Louvre continue.
Although visitors can once again admire the gallery’s elaborate architecture and artwork, the reopening marks the beginning of a new chapter for the historic space—one that prioritizes preservation and security over displaying some of France’s most valuable royal treasures.
