Possibly the French TV series Crab be prophetic? The show imagined the heist at the Louvre, an event that became a reality on the morning of October 19, when a group of professional thieves managed to break into the world-famous Paris museum. In just seven minutes, they stole the crown jewels of France.
The Heist happened around 9:30 am local time, shortly after the Museum opened to the public. Using a ladder made from a truck, the thieves entered the Galerie d’Apollon – located in the Pelite Galerie Wing – through a second floor window through which they forced an angle grinder.
When he intervened, the robbers hit at least two display cases, took valuable artefacts, and fled a few minutes later on Yahama’s scooters, disappearing into the highway.
Included in the loot, according to French authorities, were eight crown jewels, almost all from the late napoleonic era. A ninth item, Empress Eugénie’s Diamond- and Emerald-Laden Crown, was found undamaged nearby, apparently dropped by fleeing criminals. The thieves made off with the Tiara and the wife of Napoleon III, in full imperial style, decorated with 212 pearls, 1,998 diamonds, and another 992 Rose-cut diamonds. They also took the bow of Empress Eugénie’s heraldic brooch with 2,438 diamonds and 196 rose-cut stones. And when Haul is addicted – a tiara with 24 cuylon diamonds and 1,083 diamonds, accompanied by a necklace with eight impressive sapphires, multi-diamond work and gold work, and a pointed pendant that belonged to Queen Maria Ama Kalia.
It’s hard to put a number on what this collection of values is worth; They are not just luxuries that are luxurious in themselves, but rather precious. The actual value of jewels, stones, and gold combined with their historical value, can mean that they are part of the treasures of the French province, which themselves have made them able to sell in the traditional market. However, it is possible that, as often happens in that type, the robbers will descend on the precious metals, melt the precious metals, and reduce the gems on the gray or black market, producing tens of millions of euros.
Regardless of its outcome, The Louvre Heist was a masterful piece of work. Some analysts say that thieves are exploiting vulnerabilities in the Museum’s security system, which has been struggling for years with staff problems, ongoing ongoing work, and increased pressure from the number of high and growing visitors. A nationwide and international manhunt has now begun. At the moment there are no specific suspects, but all available images from the area (including a video showing one of the thieves at work) are apparently being examined.
With all kinds of surveillance and cameras now spread all over the city, there should be plenty of content to identify potential leads. President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the incident, and assured that soon those responsible will be brought to justice. A long time ago, it was the days when the Italian decorator VinCenzo Pepuggia did what he did until now after the Louvre was reported: The bad fit of Leonardo: Mona Lisawhich happened on August 21, 1911.
That painting was restored two years later; Peruggia tried to pass him off to a Florentine art dealer and raised the alarm. Perhaps the same side of luck could happen in this case.
This story originally appeared in The Wire Italia and has been translated into Italian.
