The Louvre Museum’s Apollo Gallery (Galerie d’Apollon) reopened to visitors on Wednesday, marking the end of months of closure following the spectacular theft of the French Crown Jewels in October 2025.
The gallery, one of the museum’s most celebrated historic spaces, had remained closed since thieves carried out a daring daytime robbery that shocked France and raised serious questions about security at the world’s most visited museum. Although the gallery is once again accessible, the stolen jewels have not returned, and visitors will instead discover the gallery primarily as a masterpiece of 17th-century architecture and decorative art.
The reopening follows extensive restoration and security work. Display cases that once housed the crown jewels have been removed, allowing the public to appreciate the richly decorated ceiling, gilded ornamentation and monumental paintings that define the gallery. The Louvre has chosen to emphasize the artistic and historical value of the space itself while the investigation into the robbery continues.
The Apollo Gallery occupies a special place in French cultural history. Originally designed during the reign of Louis XIV, it served as a model for the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. Its lavish decoration celebrates royal power through paintings, sculptures, and intricate gilded details, making it one of the Louvre’s architectural highlights.
