Louvre Museum has another water leak, hundreds of history books damaged

(CLO) Officials at the Louvre Museum in Paris have confirmed that a large collection of important historical books was damaged in November due to a water leak.

A series of incidents in a short period of time

Deputy Director Francis Steinbock said the leak, discovered on November 26, damaged 300 to 400 works from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He stressed that these were “extremely useful but not unique” documents and claimed that the damaged books would be dried, sent to bookbinders for restoration and then returned to the shelves.

However, these claims were refuted in an article published in La Tribune de l'Art magazine, which claimed that some of the book covers were permanently damaged.

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0

The article accused the Louvre Museum's management of ignoring years-long requests from the Egyptian Department to improve facilities and strengthen protections for the collection.

The Louvre said it is investigating the cause of the leak on November 26. Steinbock said the risk of a leak was known in advance, the old piping system was sealed and scheduled to be replaced in September 2026.

A valve in the old heating system may have been accidentally left open, allowing the carpet above the books to soak up water. When the carpet can no longer absorb it, water begins to drip down the ceiling and wet the books below.

The leak continues a string of incidents at the world's most visited museum.

In October, four thieves broke in and stole several bags of historic crown jewels worth more than $102 million. In November, the museum had to close a gallery of Greek ceramics due to structural concerns.

Spending policy criticized

To boost revenue for upgrading its facilities, the Louvre recently decided to raise ticket prices for non-EU visitors to 32 euros, a 45% increase, expected to add an additional $23 million in annual revenue.

Of the total 8.7 million visitors each year, about 69% come from abroad.

However, the French Court of Auditors has criticized the museum's spending policies, especially its heavy investments in expensive new art purchases, which have cut into the budget for other essential needs.

La Tribune de l'Art also pointed out the serious imbalance between heavy spending on interior design and renovation of executive offices while many other departments have to wait for infrastructure, security and safety upgrades.

The water leak only raises further questions about how France's most prestigious museum is managing its resources and protecting its heritage.

Source: https://congluan.vn/bao-tang-louvre-lai-xay-ra-su-co-ro-ri-nuoc-hang-tram-cuon-sach-lich-su-bi-hong-10321828.html