But what is happening at the Louvre Museum? After a spectacular burglary in October and the closure of a gallery for security reasons in November, the Louvre has once again been shaken by a worrying incident: a water leak on November 26, 2025, damaging between 300 and 400 works in the library of the Egyptian Antiquities Department. This latest episode once again raises questions about the state of the infrastructure of the world's largest museum.
Located inthe Mollien wing, the library in question houses valuable resources used by Egyptology researchers. According to Francis Steinbock, deputy general administrator of the museum, the documents affected are mainly "Egyptology journals" and "scientific documentation" dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, he specified: "No heritage works have been affected by this damage," adding that "at this stage, we have no irreparable and definitive losses in these collections," as reported by AFP.
The incident, discovered at around 8:45 p.m. on November 26, was caused bythe accidental opening of a valve in the hydraulic system supplying heating and ventilation to the library. This system, which had been shut down for several months becauseit was"completely obsolete," was to be replaced starting in September 2026 as part of work scheduled to take place over several months. "We will strengthen security measures to prevent any human error," said Francis Steinbock, describing the incidentas"extremely regrettable." An internal investigation is underway to determine the exact causes.
According to La Tribune de l'Art, some "antique bindings" are "irreparably damaged," contrary to the museum's official assessment. For its part, CFDT Culture denounces "a situation that has been deteriorating for too long," pointing to "the fragility of the infrastructure, the lack of strategic visibility on the work" and "deteriorating working conditions."
The damaged documents primarily concern the scientific community. Used regularly by specialist researchers, they are of great documentary value but are not unique. "They will be dried, sent to a bookbinder to be restored, and then returned to the shelves," said the deputy general administrator.
For the public, the impact remains negligible: the affected works are not part of the collections on display. The incident does not alter the visitor experience or access to the works. However, the recurrence of incidents within the museum could damage its reputation in the long term.
The Louvre Museum, which welcomed 8.7 million visitors in 2024 (69% of whom were foreigners), is going through a difficult period. Following the theft of several pieces from the Apollo Gallery on October 19 and the temporary closure of the Campana Gallery for security reasons, this latest leak highlights the institution's growing fragility.
To cover the cost of necessary modernization work, the museum's board of directors recently voted to increase admission fees for non-European visitors by 45% starting in 2026. This decision is intended to finance upcoming projects and enhance the security of the collections, staff, and the public.
