In a swift response to a shocking daylight robbery, the Louvre Museum has reportedly moved a selection of its most invaluable jewels to the ultra-secure facilities of the Bank of France. This unprecedented step highlights serious concerns about the famous museum’s security, which were brought to light by the recent heist.
Sources indicate that the transfer, involving several precious artifacts from the museum’s Apollo gallery—the esteemed home of the French crown jewels—occurred under the cloak of secrecy, complete with a police escort. The Bank of France, known for safeguarding the nation’s gold reserves in a massive underground vault 27 meters (88 feet) deep, is conveniently located just 500 meters from the Louvre on the Right Bank of the River Seine.
Officials from both the Louvre and the Bank of France have not yet commented on these reports.
The brazen robbery, which took happened on October 19, saw thieves make off with eight precious pieces valued at an estimated $102 million. The culprits executed their plan by using a crane to smash an upstairs window during museum opening hours before fleeing on motorbikes. This audacious act exposed significant security vulnerabilities at the world’s most-visited museum.
The news of the theft sent shockwaves globally, prompting a period of deep introspection in France and raising questions about national security and the protection of its cultural treasures.