The Louvre has moved some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France, according to French radio RTL, after a daring daylight robbery last week that exposed the vulnerability of the famous museum.
The transfer of several precious objects from the museum's "Hall of Apollo," where the French crown jewels are exhibited, was carried out yesterday, Friday, under the escort of the secret police, RTL reported, citing sources who did not wish to be identified.
The Bank of France, which stores the country's gold reserves in a massive vault 27 meters underground, is located just 500 meters from the Louvre, on the right bank of the Seine River. The Louvre and the Bank of France did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Robbers stole eight pieces of precious jewelry, with an estimated value of $102 million, from the Louvre's collection on October 19, exposing major security gaps, after the thieves entered the world's most visited museum by using a crane to break an upper-floor window while the museum was open. They fled on motorbikes.
News of the robbery made headlines around the world, sparking reflection in France over what some considered a national humiliation.
