Newsletters
The Louvre's new director has warned that the world's most visited museum is "running out of steam" as it struggles to fund urgent upgrades to ageing infrastructure after a series of security, maintenance and revenue problems.
Christophe Leribault, who took over the Paris museum in February, told a French Senate committee on Wednesday that the Louvre's equipment and infrastructure were reaching the end of their life cycle. A Senate committee is a parliamentary panel within France's upper house that examines public issues and questions officials.
"Despite its imposing majesty, despite the daily commitment of its staff, the Louvre is running out of steam," Leribault said.
The Louvre, home to major works including Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," receives around 9 million visitors a year, making it the world's most visited museum.
The museum is housed in a vast former royal palace in central Paris, on the banks of the Seine River. The complex was built over centuries by French monarchs, some of whom used it as an official residence.
Leribault said building-related emergencies were piling up and warned that the museum was facing a serious investment challenge.
The funding warning comes after a difficult period for the Louvre. Leribault's predecessor stepped down following an embarrassing daylight theft of imperial jewels in October, a brazen heist valued at around $100 million that exposed serious security failings.
The museum has also dealt with repeated strikes that caused lost revenue, a ticket fraud scheme that may have cost it 10 million euros, or about $11.7 million, as well as a water leak and other maintenance issues.
Leribault said the institution now needed to deal with these pressures while trying to keep up the daily operations of one of the world's most important cultural sites.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
