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, located 500 meters from the museum, according to French media reports.
These treasures will now be securely stored in the Bank's vault, situated 26 meters below ground at its elegant headquarters in central Paris. This vault is known to contain 90% of France's gold reserves, as well as historical notebooks belonging to Leonardo Da Vinci and other national treasures, with its contents valued at approximately €600 million (£520 million).
Known as the Souterraine, the vault is designed to withstand all forms of attack, featuring a 50cm-thick, seven-tonne door made of flame-resistant concrete and reinforced with steel. Behind this door is a formidable 35-tonne rotating concrete turret that prevents forced entry.
Last Sunday, masked thieves used an angle grinder to breach a reinforced window into the Louvre's Gallery of Apollo, where France's crown jewels are displayed. The gang quickly seized treasures including a necklace that belonged to Napoleon's wife, Empress Marie-Louise, and a diadem belonging to Empress Eugenie, with a total value of €88 million (£77 million).
The thieves used a mechanical ladder attached to a truck to access a first-floor balcony, facilitating their entry into the gallery.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has expressed confidence that the thieves will be caught, while Louvre director Laurence des Cars acknowledged the museum's aging infrastructure and security weaknesses. Notably, the only security camera monitoring the exterior wall where the burglars broke in was facing the wrong direction.
