(Adnkronos) – The Louvre Museum reopens its Galerie d’Apollon, or Apollo Gallery, today, nine months after the spectacular jewel theft, but visitors will find the sumptuous room stripped of the valuables and art treasures that once filled it. The museum’s director, Christophe Leribault, told Le Parisien newspaper that the valuables will henceforth be kept in a windowless vault. Eight precious jewels, valued at around 88 million euros (100 million dollars), were stolen from the gallery during the break-in in mid-October 2025. They have not yet been recovered. Empress Eugenie’s crown, damaged during the theft, is currently being restored. Leribault described the reopening as a new beginning for the gallery. Instead of leaving the room with empty display cases as a reminder of the previous exhibition, he stated that the space should return to being a grand gallery.
The Apollo Gallery is considered one of the most magnificent rooms in the Louvre. The ceilings were designed by Charles Le Brun and later expanded, among others, by Eugène Delacroix. Leribault compared the room to the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, describing it as a fragment of the original royal palace that visitors can rediscover today in the museum. On October 19, 2025, four thieves disguised as workers snuck into the world-renowned museum in broad daylight, using a freight elevator and simple circular saws. They stole jewels worth approximately 88 million euros before fleeing on two scooters.
Four people suspected of being directly involved in the theft have been indicted and placed in pre-trial detention. However, the stolen items are still missing, with the exception of the crown belonging to Empress Eugenie, Napoleon III’s wife, which was found damaged near the museum.
