The room

Where is the Galerie d'Apollon in the Louvre?

The gallery is Room 705 on level 1 of the Denon wing. You can walk through it from the Rotonde d'Apollon to the Salon Carré, which opens onto the Grande Galerie.

Room 705 is not a listed stop on the 90-minute Louvre's Masterpieces trail. Nearby stops include the Winged Victory in Room 703, the Botticelli frescoes in Room 706 and the Salon Carré in Room 708.

What to do: Look up for Delacroix's Apollo Slaying the Serpent Python in the central ceiling compartment; it measures 8 by 7.5 metres.

The jewels

Can you see the French Crown Jewels in the Galerie d'Apollon?

Public viewing of the Crown Jewels is not confirmed, although the gallery reopened in summer 2026. It closed for several months after two burglars stole eight 19th-century jewels on 19 October 2025.

The museum describes the jewel cases in the past tense and says the room has returned to its role as a ceremonial gallery.

The catalogue lists the Regent diamond as not on display and the crown of Louis XV in Room 705 with restricted access. The museum warns that catalogue locations may be out of date. These entries do not confirm which jewels you can see.

What to do: Plan around the room and its ceiling. Public access to the jewels is not confirmed.

The decoration

Who decorated the Galerie d'Apollon?

Charles Le Brun designed the decoration around Apollo, the emblem chosen by Louis XIV. He and architect Louis Le Vau were commissioned in 1662 to rebuild the gallery after the fire of 6 February 1661. François Girardon, Thomas Regnaudin and the Marsy brothers made the stucco decoration.

Work stopped in 1671 with the gallery unfinished. Painters commissioned by the Royal Academy completed parts of the ceiling between 1769 and 1781. Work resumed in 1848 under architect Félix Duban, with Eugène Delacroix painting Apollo Slaying the Serpent Python in the central compartment.

The Louvre describes the gallery as a forerunner of Versailles' Hall of Mirrors. Carved and gilded wooden display cases were made in 1861 to match its decoration.

Opening times

When is the Galerie d'Apollon open?

The current schedule shows the Galerie d'Apollon open every day the museum opens. It reopened in summer 2026; public viewing of the jewels remains unconfirmed.

The Louvre opens from 9:00 to 18:00, or until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. It closes on Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Last entry is one hour before closing; staff start clearing rooms 30 minutes before.