A water leak at the Louvre museum in Paris has damaged hundreds of works, just weeks after thieves stole priceless French crown jewels from the museum in broad daylight.
The museum's deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, stated that between 300-400 works, mostly books, were affected by the leak, with the count still ongoing.
Mr. Steinbock informed French media that the damage occurred in the Egyptian department, noting that the volumes impacted are those consulted by Egyptologists, though he assured that no precious books were affected.
The leak's cause, identified in late November, had been known for years, with repairs anticipated next year.
The affected volumes, which include Egyptology journals and scientific documentation from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, will be dried, restored by a bookbinder, and returned to the shelves.
Importantly, Mr. Steinbock clarified that no heritage artefacts suffered damage, stating, At this stage, we have no irreparable and definitive losses in these collections.
This leak marks the third significant issue for the Louvre within a few months. In November, structural weaknesses led to a partial closure of a gallery housing Greek vases and offices, and in October, thieves stole jewels worth €88 million, revealing glaring security failures. The stolen jewels have yet to be recovered, prompting the museum to relocate some of its most valuable items to the Bank of France.
A report from France's public audit body, the Cour des Comptes, has criticized the museum for excessive spending on artwork, suggesting that such practices come at the expense of essential building maintenance and renovations.
