The Louvre Museum in Paris reopened on Wednesday, three days after a daring robbery in which thieves made away with historic royal jewellery valued at €88 million ($102 million).
Live footage from Reuters TV showed large crowds streaming through the museum’s iconic glass pyramid entrance, signalling a return to normal operations after the audacious heist that drew global attention.
According to officials, four masked thieves used a crane to smash an upstairs window in the Galerie d’Apollon, which houses the French crown jewels, before escaping on motorbikes. The robbery, carried out in just six to seven minutes, occurred around 9:30 a.m. (0730 GMT) on Sunday while the museum was already open to the public.
“They were unarmed but threatened guards with angle grinders,” said Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau on BFM TV. She confirmed that eight of nine targeted items were stolen, with the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, dropped during the getaway.
“That crown alone is worth several tens of millions of euros—and it’s not even the most significant piece,” said Alexandre Giquello, President of the Drouot auction house.
Investigators said one suspect wore a yellow reflective vest, which has since been recovered. The robbers also attempted—but failed—to set fire to the crane mounted on a truck as they fled the scene.
Beccuau added that it remains unclear why the thieves ignored the Regent Diamond, one of the Louvre’s most famous jewels, valued at over $60 million by Sotheby’s. “We’ll only know their motive once they’re in custody,” she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the theft, calling it “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.” He vowed that the stolen works would be recovered and the culprits brought to justice.
Following the incident, Louvre officials announced tighter security measures to protect visitors and safeguard its priceless art collection, which includes the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.
As the museum reopened, many visitors expressed both relief and concern, noting the growing sophistication of crimes targeting the world’s most treasured cultural institutions.
