Paris
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In a daring heist on Sunday, thieves broke into the Louvre’s Apollo Museum and stole jewels of “incalculable” value. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told radio station France Inter that the suspects carried out the robbery in just seven minutes.
According to French Culture Minister Rashida Dati, French media reported that thieves tried to steal the crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie, but the crown was found outside the Louvre. The ornate gold piece, set with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, was damaged in the robbery, according to French television station TF1 and newspaper Le Parisien.
The robbery, which prompted the swift evacuation of visitors and the museum’s closure for the remainder of the day, was just the latest in a series of troubles to hit the venerable institution.
Jewels stolen from the Louvre
Built in the late 12th century, the Louvre Palace was the official residence of French kings for centuries. King Louis XIV decided to move his court to Versailles on the outskirts of the French capital, and in 1793 permission was granted to establish the Louvre. Since then, the Louvre has become the most visited museum in the world and a cultural highlight of any stay in Paris.
Last year, the Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors, with American tourists accounting for 13% of all visitors, second only to the French. But the huge crowds that enter through the museum’s doors every day are putting a strain on the centuries-old building and its staff.
Earlier this year, French newspaper Le Parisien reported on a confidential letter from Louvre director Laurence de Carre to Culture Minister Rashida Dati warning of the dilapidated state of one of Europe’s top tourist attractions.
In a memo dated Jan. 23 and confirmed to CNN by the Louvre, de Kaal asked for urgent assistance to address a number of issues affecting the museum. She warned that damage to the museum’s spaces was increasing, with some areas “very deteriorated”.
Problems included water leaks, overcrowding and alarming temperature fluctuations that could “jeopardize the preservation of the artwork,” the memo details.
The museum’s director warned that the Louvre was providing “inadequate” services to the public due to overcrowding, with food service and the number of toilets “well below international standards”.
“Visiting the Louvre is a physical challenge. Reaching the works of art takes time and is not always easy,” the memo said.
Many visitors flock to the Sal de Zeta to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, one of the museum’s most famous works of art, if not the world. However, the museum director asked them to reconsider the placement of the works.
Later that month, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a room would be dedicated to the Mona Lisa at the Louvre as part of a major renovation project. Expansion of the Paris landmark is expected to take up to 10 years.
Just six months later, in June, employees went on strike, complaining of overcrowding, understaffing, and poor working conditions inside the museum, which caused the museum to close for a day.
Sunday’s brazen daytime heist was not the first theft to plague the Louvre.
Most famously, the Mona Lisa, the jewel in the Louvre’s crown, was stolen in 1911 by Italian handyman Vincenzo Perugia. After slipping the painting under his clothes, Perugia fled the building without anyone noticing and remained undetected for two years. The daring heist propelled the Mona Lisa from relative obscurity to world-famous icon, captivating the public during a two-year investigation.
Two pieces of 16th century armor were recently returned to the Louvre some 40 years after they were stolen. The Renaissance-era helmet and armor were on display at the Louvre when they were stolen overnight between May 31 and June 1, 1983. It was not until March 2021 that the stolen artifacts were returned to the Louvre.
