Louvre director warns museum could close without major government funding

The Louvre museum in Paris could eventually have to close its doors to the public unless the next French government funds a major overhaul, its director warned on Wednesday. Christophe Leribault told Le Figaro that security updates alone cannot solve the issues at the landmark, pointing to leaking pipes and crumbling galleries. [1]

The warning comes a year after thieves stole crown jewels worth 88 million euros from the museum, which have not been recovered. Leribault stated that while the museum will seek private backing, a large injection of public money must be approved following the national elections in France next year. [1]

The Louvre is a national art museum situated on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris. Housed in the Louvre Palace, an 88-million-euro site originally constructed as a fortress in the late 12th to 13th century, it contains more than 500,000 documented works across eight curatorial departments, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. [2][3]

The landmark features 72,735 square meters of exhibition space displaying tens of thousands of items. Leribault noted that whoever forms the next French government must keep the museum's urgent financial needs in mind. [1][3]