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The famous Louvre museum in Paris is set to reopen on Wednesday, but this time without a priceless piece of its cultural heritage. According to a French prosecutor, about $102 million in precious treasures have been stolen in one of the most spectacular robberies in recent decades, which is already being called the "Heist of the Century."
According to American writer Michael Finkel, author of the book "The Art Thief," the loss is heavy not only for France, but for all of humanity. "The real victims of this crime are all of us, who will no longer be able to see these extraordinary works," he said.
The robbery recalls the historic episode in 1911, when Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" was taken from the walls of the Louvre, only to be found two years later. This time, the thieves appear to have acted swiftly, entering the museum through a window and taking rare jewelry, including a diamond and sapphire set, a crown and an emerald pendant, before fleeing on motorbikes.
"They acted as if everything was normal, as if they were construction workers. They managed to get in and out in just seven minutes," Finkel told French media.
French police say thieves used a ladder mounted on a truck to enter the Apollo Gallery, one of the Louvre's most beautiful and best-preserved rooms. A gas cylinder and a flint were found at the scene, tools suspected of being used to open the armored safes.
However, according to Larry Lawton, a former jewelry thief who now works as a security consultant, the robbers were not entirely professional.
"They left behind one of the stolen jewels. When you only have nine sets and you lose one, you've thrown away one-ninth of your entire loot. That's an amateurish move." Art recovery expert Arthur Brand told CNN that Napoleon's jewels are too popular to be sold on the black market in their original form. "They contain gold, silver and diamonds. The thieves will probably melt the metals and cut the stones to make their origin unexplained," Brand explained.
The investigation continues, with French authorities working with Interpol and international experts to trace the movement of the stolen treasures. But the absence of the iconic jewels will long be remembered as the "Heist of the Century" at the Louvre.
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