Significant flooding at the Louvre Museum in Paris has resulted in damage to hundreds of artifacts, according to Francis Steinbock, the museum’s deputy general administrator. The incident, which occurred last week, was caused by a burst pipe that affected one of the library’s three rooms dedicated to Egyptian antiquities. Steinbock reported that between 300 and 400 works were impacted.
The damaged items primarily include books, some of which are several hundred years old, dating back to the late 19th century. Efforts are currently underway to assess the full extent of the damage. Steinbock indicated that many of the affected books are now wet, and the museum staff is working diligently to dry them. The process involves dehumidifying each page with the assistance of Buffard paper and specialized plants.
The affected library holds a variety of resources, including visual periodicals and archaeology journals that are frequently consulted by Egyptologists, museum staff, and researchers. Steinbock also noted that the area where the pipe burst is scheduled for a significant renovation of the ventilation and heating system, set to begin in September.
This incident adds to a series of recent challenges faced by the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum. Just two months prior, on October 19, the museum was the site of a brazen jewelry heist. During that theft, a group of four thieves managed to steal eight crown jewels of France, valued at an estimated €88 million (approximately $102 million), in under eight minutes.
The investigation into the stolen jewels is ongoing, with the Paris prosecutor confirming that four suspects believed to be involved in the robbery have been arrested. One of these arrests occurred last month. All suspects face preliminary charges of robbery by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy. Following the earlier arrests in October, Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, reported that DNA traces had been discovered at the crime scene or on items associated with the theft. Additionally, a woman was arrested on preliminary charges of complicity in theft and criminal conspiracy, although she has denied any involvement, according to reports from the Associated Press.
As the Louvre navigates these recent setbacks, the museum remains focused on preserving its extensive collection and restoring affected works to their original condition.
