Last Sunday, I was on my way to church when I heard the news —the Louvre had been robbed. Not pickpockets lifting wallets from distracted tourists, mind you, but an actual heist. Four thieves with angle grinders and a furniture lift had just pulled off what authorities are calling one of the boldest museum robberies in modern history.
It happened Sunday morning, October 19th, at 9:30 a.m., while tourists queued outside, clutching their pre-purchased tickets and cameras. The crew scaled a furniture lift to a second-floor window of the Galerie d’Apollon, forced it open, and in seven minutes flat, smashed display cases and fled with eight pieces of Napoleonic jewelry—emerald necklaces, diamond tiaras, brooches worn by Empress Eugénie and Marie-Louise. They fumbled Empress Eugénie’s crown during their escape, damaging its 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.
The haul? Prosecutors say $102 million, though officials call it “inestimable cultural and historical value.” President Macron called it “an attack on a heritage that we cherish.”
I’ve stood in that same Galerie d’Apollon, where the inscription above the door proclaims, “Opened 10 August 1793 by legislative action for all the people of France.” Entering the Galerie, you can’t help but look up, gaping open-jawed at the lavish decor… gold, gold, gold, everywhere! After a fire destroyed this palace wing, Louis XIV commissioned the Galerie in the 1660s and dedicated it to Apollo, the Greek god of the sun and arts.
The reports and news stories about the robbery continued all last week. Then, this morning, I heard reports that one of the thieves was arrested at Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport as he was preparing to leave the country. But, I can’t help but wonder: how does the world’s most-visited museum become vulnerable in broad daylight?
Join me in Paris, or almost anywhere in Europe!
Paris is my favorite big city in all of Europe. It has so much to offer, from museums like the Louvre, quaint neighborhood cafés, green parks, the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, fantastic food, and more. Where many tour companies “do Paris” in a whirlwind two-day tour, I’ve designed my tours to spend at least four days in the city. This gives you time to slow down and experience the City of Light, get out and explore on your own, while still seeing the major tourist sights with your local guide. Check out my Best of France, or London, Paris, Rome tours to savor Paris at a slower pace.