A water leak in the Louvre damages hundreds of works from the Library of Egyptian Antiquities
Add a water leak that occurred at The Louvre Museum On November 26, hundreds of works in the Library of Egyptian Antiquities were damaged, according to what was revealed by the Parisian institution whose problems have continued since Jewelry was stolen from her building in October.
Assistant Commissioner General Francis Steinbock told AFP that "Between 300 and 400 works" It was damaged, confirming information circulated by the site "La Tribune de l’Ar"
He indicated damage "Egyptology journals" and"Scientific documents" Used by researchers dating back to the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century.
He confirmed that "No heritage work was damaged"noting that "There are no irreparable losses to date that have affected the groups".
He pointed out that "Very useful documents that are viewed frequently" But it is "Not at all unique". It is expected that "It dries out and we will send it to the freezer for repair before returning it to the shelves"The Museum.
It was caused by accidentally opening one of the valves, which led to water leaking from a pipe in the ceiling of one of the halls.
The water network was cut off. "Completely dilapidated" Several months ago, it is expected to begin replacing it as of September 2026, according to what Steinbock revealed, within the framework of work that is supposed to extend for several months.
An internal investigation would reveal the specific reasons behind this leak.
The deteriorating conditions
The union denounced "CFDT-Culture" In a statement of this "The new incident confirms that the situation has been deteriorating for a long time". It is expected that a union meeting will be held on Monday to assess the situation.
On October 19, the Louvre was subjected to the theft of jewelry valued at approximately 88 million euros. The four members of the gang that carried out the theft were arrested, but the jewelry or the organizers of the operation have not yet been found.
Closing one of the halls
In November, the museum was forced to close one of the exhibition halls due to the aging of the building.
In order to finance the restoration work, the Louvre administration intends to raise the price of entry tickets by 45% for visitors from outside Europe, starting from the year 2026.
The Louvre received, It is the museum that attracts the largest number of visitors in the world, 8.7 million visitors in 2024, 69% of whom are foreigners.
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