Louvre Museum Reopens After $100 Million Royal Jewelry Heist: Security Concerns Rise in French Cultural Institutions

The Louvre, globally renowned as the most frequented museum, resumed operations on Wednesday following a three-day closure due to a significant jewelry theft, as confirmed by an AFP journalist.

Starting at 9:00 am (0700 GMT), the museum's standard opening hour, initial visitors began entering the celebrated institution. However, the museum authorities announced that the Apollo Gallery, where the theft occurred on Sunday, remains inaccessible to the public.

Numerous investigators are pursuing Sunday's perpetrators, operating under the hypothesis that an organized criminal group utilized a ladder placed on a truck to infiltrate the museum. During their escape, they reportedly dropped a diamond-encrusted crown.

The thieves absconded with eight invaluable artifacts, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace presented by Napoleon I to his spouse Empress Marie-Louise, and a diadem formerly owned by Empress Eugenie, which features nearly 2,000 diamonds.

Following the theft, disappointed tourists were denied entry at the Louvre's entrance situated in central Paris, and the museum maintained its closure on Tuesday in accordance with its regular schedule.

As the world's most visited museum, the Louvre welcomed nine million individuals to its expansive corridors and exhibition spaces last year.

The incident has rekindled discussions regarding inadequate security measures in French museums, especially after two additional institutions experienced thefts last month.