Louvre Museum (AP image)
A water leak at the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris has damaged between 300 and 400 works, mainly books and research journals, the museum has confirmed. The incident comes just months after thieves stole priceless French crown jewels from the museum in broad daylight, raising fresh concerns over its infrastructure and security, according to the BBC. The leak was discovered on 26 November in the museum’s Egyptian department. Deputy administrator Francis Steinbock said the damaged items were mainly Egyptology journals and scientific documents dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These materials are widely used by researchers but are not unique or rare, he clarified.“No heritage artefacts have been affected by this damage. At this stage, we have no irreparable and definitive losses in these collections,” Steinbock told news agency AFP. He added that the affected books would be dried, sent to a bookbinder for restoration and then returned to the shelves.According to the museum, the leak was caused by the accidental opening of a valve in an old heating and ventilation system, which led to water seeping through the ceiling of the Mollien wing where the books were stored. Steinbock said the fault in the system had been known for years and full repairs are scheduled for next year. This is the third major issue faced by the Louvre in recent months. In November, part of a gallery displaying Greek vases was closed due to structural weaknesses.Earlier, on 19 October, four burglars stole jewels worth an estimated €88 million in a seven-minute daylight robbery. The stolen jewels have not yet been recovered and several valuable items have since been moved to the Bank of France for safekeeping.A recent report by France’s public audit body, the Cour des Comptes, also criticised the museum for spending too much on acquiring artworks at the cost of building maintenance and renovation.Meanwhile, the Louvre has announced that from late November it will increase ticket prices for most non-European Union visitors to €32. The museum said the hike is aimed at raising funds for much-needed structural improvements.The Louvre remains the most visited museum in the world, welcoming nearly 8.7 million visitors in 2024, with about 69 percent coming from outside France.
