Louvre reopens after latest in slew of spectacular thefts in France

PARIS — The Louvre in Paris is open again, days after the spectacular robbery at the world-renowned museum, the latest in a series of robberies that has left visitors puzzling over empty cabinets and police in search of clues.

The museum opened Wednesday at 9 a.m., its usual starting time, but the Apollo Gallery, where the break-in occurred, is closed for the time being.

The weekend burglary netted the thieves some $102 million in stolen jewellery and led to the temporary closure of the world’s largest museum. So far there has been no trace of the jewels.

Meanwhile tourists seeking treasure elsewhere in France may be stunned to note that some 2,000 gold and silver coins were also stolen during another theft at a French museum, hours after the daring day-light robbery of the Louvre.

The latest incident involved a break-in at the House of Enlightenment, Denis Diderot, in Landres in north-eastern France, home to manuscripts, letters and historical objects from the 18th century.

The thieves made off with around 2,000 silver and gold coins, the local authority says, days after the Sunday robbery. They selected their loot with great expertise and precision, police say.

Since the beginning of September there has been a spate of burglaries at French museums, all following a similar pattern, and specifically targeting valuable objects such as jewelery, coins or items of high historical value.

All remain open to the public while behind the scenes, police are trying to establish whether the crimes are connected.

In mid-October, the Jacques Chirac Museum in Sarran in the south-west of the country was burgled twice within 48 hours. The museum houses around 5,000 diplomatic gifts received by Jacques Chirac during his two terms in office as president of France (1995–2007).

Thieves struck several times in September – within just two weeks, the National Adrien Dubouché Museum in Limoges and the Natural History Museum in Paris were targeted by burglars.

In Limoges, three Chinese porcelain objects classified as “national treasures,” with an estimated value of $7.5 million, were taken.

Days later, thieves stole several gold nuggets worth €1.5 million from the Natural History Museum in Paris. A woman has since been arrested in Barcelona. It is not yet clear whether she acted alone or with accomplices.