The helmet and armor from the Renaissance era were made in Milan and covered in gold and silver, according to a statement from the Louvre on Thursday.
Baroness Salomon de Rothschild gave the armor to the French state in 1922. The pieces were exhibited in the Louvre when they were stolen overnight from 31 May to 1 June 1983, according to the statement.
“The circumstances of the theft of these pieces, which the general public knew little about, remained a mystery,” the museum said.
The theft at the time ‘deeply upset’ museum staff, but the armor has now been recovered thanks to the investigators’ work, according to the statement.
The armor is on display in the Objets d’Art rooms in the Richelieu wing when the Louvre reopens. It was closed to the public in October last year due to restrictions on the closure of the coronavirus.
The armor will be on display when the museum reopens. Credit: THOMAS SAMSON / AFP Getty Images
Such thefts are rare, but not unheard of.
One of the museum’s most famous works was stolen more than 100 years ago.
Before the 20th century, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” was not very well known outside of art circles. But in 1911, a former Louvre employee stole the portrait and hid it for two years.
Public fascination with the theft has since helped confirm the place of the painting in popular culture.
The “Mona Lisa” is one of the star attractions in the world’s most visited museum.
Last year, the Louvre lost more than 90 million euros ($ 109 million) in revenue and experienced a 72% decrease in visitors due to the disruption of the pandemic.
However, the museum makes the best use of the closures by carrying out long-planned renovations.