The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France after a spectacular daylight heist exposed woeful flaws in the museum's security.
On Friday, a secret police escort oversaw the transfer of some of the remaining jewels to the Bank, just 500 meters from the museum, as reported by French media.
These treasures will now be stored in the Bank's most secure vault, located 26 meters below ground, which is home to 90% of France's gold reserves, as well as invaluable national treasures like Leonardo Da Vinci's notebooks. The contents of this vault are estimated to be worth around €600 million (£520 million).
The vault, known as the Souterraine, was designed to withstand various attacks, featuring a 50cm thick, seven-tonne door made of flame-resistant concrete reinforced with steel. Behind this door is a 35-tonne rotating concrete turret that prevents forced entry.
Last Sunday, masked thieves used an angle grinder to break into the Louvre's Gallery of Apollo, seizing treasures including a necklace that belonged to Napoleon's wife, Empress Marie-Louise, and a diadem of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie, totaling €88 million (£77 million) in value.
Using a mechanical ladder mounted on a truck, the thieves accessed the gallery from a first-floor balcony, making their escape within eight minutes.
The Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, has expressed confidence that the thieves will be caught. Meanwhile, officials have pointed out that despite the museum director, Laurence des Cars, asserting that security protocols were followed during the heist, the museum's aging infrastructure has come under scrutiny. Notably, the only security camera monitoring the wall where the break-in occurred was facing the wrong direction.
