According to The New York Times, the construction worker-disguised thieves parked a truck under the second floor of the Louvre, the Galerie d’Apollon (Apollo Gallery), in broad daylight at 9:30 a.m. Climbing an electric ladder from the back of the truck and using a disc cutter on the window that set off the alarm system, two thieves entered the museum.
Once inside the Louvre, they threatened the guards with the disc cutter and smashed two display cases in the middle of the gallery. As a result, nine pieces were stolen. Pieces belonging to Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III) include her crown, a tiara, a large decorative bow, and a brooch. A sapphire tiara, necklace and earring set, and an emerald and diamond necklace alongside another earring set belonging to Marie Louise (Napoleon I’s second wife) make up the rest. However, the crown of Empress Eugénie was dropped and recovered, and only one sapphire earring was stolen. In total, the precious stolen jewels are worth around $102 million, with over 7,000 diamonds, 30 sapphires, 30 emeralds, and 200 pearls stolen.
Photo courtesy of CNN
Photo courtesy of CNN
RIGHT: Empress Eugénie’s Decorative Bow
Photo courtesy of The New York Times
Photo courtesy of The New York Times
To escape, the thieves climbed down the same ladder they used to enter and made a break with two other getaway men on motor scooters. In under 10 minutes, the heist was complete, according to The New York Times. Starting October 25th, four people were charged with criminal conspiracy: three men (two of whom are arrested) suspected of having directly robbed the museum, and a woman who is a partner of one of the suspects.
As more and more coverage came out about the robbery, many people online found the entire situation comical–ordinary thieves, with a low budget and simple plan, managed to pull off a multimillion-dollar heist in broad daylight. This heist also exposed tremendous security issues in the museum itself. These include the weak overall surveillance level of the cameras, as well as the museum’s password, which is supposedly “Louvre”. Regardless, each of the stolen objects had a massive symbolic impact on France’s history and culture. Even after the heist, France’s heritage will never fade. The Apollo Gallery is still closed and investigations continue, but despite this loss, the Louvre remains a place of rich history.