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Louvre

All articles tagged with #louvre

Louvre appoints new chief after 'heist of the century' shocks Paris museum
world2 days ago

Louvre appoints new chief after 'heist of the century' shocks Paris museum

France’s Louvre Museum will see new leadership after director Laurence des Cars resigned following last year’s €88 million “heist of the century.” President Macron accepted the resignation and named Christophe Leribault, formerly of Versailles, as the new Louvre chief, praising stability and a fresh impetus. Des Cars had earlier admitted the museum’s security and infrastructure were outdated in the wake of the Apollo Gallery burglary; the Louvre has faced strikes, crowd-management challenges, and staff concerns, though it drew 8.7 million visitors in 2024.

Louvre chief steps down after security failings surface in €88m jewellery heist
world4 days ago

Louvre chief steps down after security failings surface in €88m jewellery heist

Laurence des Cars has resigned as head of the Louvre after an October daylight heist in which thieves stole about €88m worth of Napoleonic jewellery. A parliamentary inquiry condemned systemic security failures and a denial of risk, highlighting inadequate security upgrades and limited CCTV coverage, and calling for a fresh leadership to drive urgent reforms as investigations continue and the stolen items remain unrecovered.

Louvre says fraud is statistically inevitable at its scale amid decade-long ticket scheme
world9 days ago

Louvre says fraud is statistically inevitable at its scale amid decade-long ticket scheme

Paris’s Louvre says its immense size makes fraud statistically inevitable as prosecutors detail a decade-long ticket-fraud scheme that may exceed €10 million, with nine suspects detained; the case involves tour guides reusing tickets and some Louvre staff, and the museum has tightened ticket validation and checkpoint controls.

Louvre ticketing scam drains €10m as nine indicted in Paris
culture14 days ago

Louvre ticketing scam drains €10m as nine indicted in Paris

Nine people were indicted in a decade-long €10 million ticketing scam at the Louvre, involving ticket reuse by guides and splitting groups to dodge controls; cash seizures were made and two Louvre employees were among the suspects, with a broader investigation potentially linked to Versailles; the probe began after the Louvre filed a complaint in 2024 and is ongoing.

Louvre water leak damages 19th-century ceiling painting amid ongoing setbacks
culture14 days ago

Louvre water leak damages 19th-century ceiling painting amid ongoing setbacks

A heating-pipe water leak in the Louvre’s Denon wing damaged Charles Meynier’s 1822 ceiling painting The Apotheosis of Poussin, Le Sueur and Le Brun, causing two tears and lifted paint. Room 707 (Duchâtel room) was briefly closed as firefighters stopped the leak within about 40 minutes; a restorer confirmed damage but no structural issues. The museum is reviewing the incident alongside a string of recent problems, including a major jewel heist and previous leaks, with restoration work continuing.

Napoleon-era Crown Slips from Thieves’ Grasp in Louvre Heist, Heads to Restoration
world22 days ago

Napoleon-era Crown Slips from Thieves’ Grasp in Louvre Heist, Heads to Restoration

During an October Louvre raid, thieves cut into the Apollo Gallery and seized Napoleonic jewels; Empress Eugénie’s crown slipped from their grasp and was left battered on the pavement. The 1,354-diamond, 56-emerald crown now has palmettes detached, a missing eagle, and about ten diamonds gone, but most components survive and restoration is planned via a competitive bidding process. The Louvre has received offers from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Mellerio, Chaumet, and Boucheron, and aims to restore the crown by reshaping its frame rather than recreating it.

Louvre to Fully Restore Empress Eugenie Crown After Heist Debacle
france23 days ago

Louvre to Fully Restore Empress Eugenie Crown After Heist Debacle

After thieves dropped Empress Eugenie’s diamond- and emerald-studded crown during an October Louvre heist, the damaged piece is set for full restoration and is described as nearly intact aside from one missing eagle ornament; the crown’s restoration will be supervised by an expert committee, while the rest of the stolen jewels (about €88 million worth) remain missing and four suspects have been arrested.,

Empress Eugénie’s Crown Suffered Major Damage in Louvre Heist, Now Headed for Restoration
world23 days ago

Empress Eugénie’s Crown Suffered Major Damage in Louvre Heist, Now Headed for Restoration

The crown of Empress Eugénie, taken in the Louvre burglary last October, was dropped on the sidewalk and badly damaged—its arches bent, its bejeweled cross toppled, and a golden eagle missing. The Louvre released photos of the damage and announced a restoration process estimated at about 40,000 euros, to be overseen by a committee of experts with work expected to finish by year’s end. Investigations have led to charges against five suspects, while most other jewels remain missing and the Apollo Gallery remains closed.

Louvre jewel heist captured on camera as thieves breach Apollo Gallery
world1 month ago

Louvre jewel heist captured on camera as thieves breach Apollo Gallery

New surveillance footage aired on French TV shows two masked burglars using a basket lift to break into the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, slicing display cases and stealing nine pieces of jewelry valued at about $102 million; a crown reportedly dropped during the escape and, so far, none of the jewels have been recovered. Four suspects are in custody. The security breach exposed gaps (about 35% of Denon Wing rooms aren’t monitored by cameras) and noted that the jewels were not insured under French law. Louvre staff are trained to evacuate visitors rather than confront thieves, and unions are pressing for more staff as strikes shut the museum at times; investigators are relying on DNA and camera footage in ongoing probes.