Louvre leak damages hundreds of books as deterioration concerns grow

A water leak at the Louvre last month damaged up to 400 books in its Egyptian antiquities library, deepening concerns over the museum’s ageing infrastructure weeks after a major jewel theft exposed serious security gaps.

The world’s most visited museum is facing renewed scrutiny after a burst pipe in the Egyptian antiquities department damaged a significant portion of its specialised book collection. According to La Tribune de l'Art, around 400 rare works were affected, with the publication blaming long-standing issues in the museum’s piping system and repeated failures to secure funds for proper protection.

Francis Steinbock, the Louvre’s deputy administrator, told BFM TV that the leak occurred in one of the library’s three rooms. He said that between 300 and 400 books had been impacted, though assessments were still under way. The damaged volumes were described as working materials routinely consulted by Egyptologists rather than the museum’s most precious items. Steinbock acknowledged that the risk had been known for years and noted that repair work is not scheduled to begin until September 2026.

The incident comes at a moment of heightened concern over the Louvre’s condition and security. In October, four burglars carried out a bold daylight heist, escaping with jewels valued at $102 million and exposing profound vulnerabilities in the museum’s protective systems. Weeks later, structural problems forced the partial closure of a gallery displaying Greek vases, along with adjacent offices.

France’s Cour des Comptes, the country’s public audit body, warned in a report published in October that the Louvre’s difficulty modernising its infrastructure has been made worse by disproportionate spending on artwork acquisitions. The latest leak has reinforced questions over how the museum is managing an aging building that must both safeguard priceless heritage collections and welcome millions of visitors each year.

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