The Louvre museum has once again come under the spotlight, but this time not for its works of art. Between November 26 and the following days, the library specializing in Egyptology suffered serious flooding which compromised hundreds of documents of scientific importance. The accident raises questions about the maintenance of the infrastructure of one of the most important cultural places on the planet.
The source of the problem: a valve opened by mistake
According to what was reconstructed by the museum, the leak was identified on the evening of November 26, just before nine o’clock, in the Mollien wing where the library is located. The problem originated in the plumbing system that powers the facility’s heating and ventilation systems: a valve was accidentally opened, causing water to leak from a pipe installed in the ceiling of one of the rooms.
Francis Steinbock, deputy director of the museum, described the hydraulic network involved in the accident as completely obsolete. So much so that it had already been deactivated for several months awaiting replacement, scheduled for September 2026 as part of modernization interventions that will last several months.
The balance sheet: between 300 and 400 volumes affected
The damage concerns a considerable number of materials: we are talking about a figure of between 300 and 400 books. These are mainly specialist Egyptology journals and scientific documents regularly consulted by researchers, many of which date back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Steinbock, however, tried to downplay the extent of the incident, underlining that no works belonging to the museum heritage were involved. According to the deputy director, there are currently no irreversible or definitive losses for the collections. The damaged documents are described as extremely useful and frequently used materials, but not unique in the world. The plan is to dry them, send them to a restoration lab for binding, and then put them back on the shelves.
Investigations underway and security strengthened
The museum has launched an internal investigation to clarify the exact circumstances that led to the opening of the valve. Steinbock spoke of an extremely regrettable incident and announced that safety measures will be strengthened to avoid human errors of this type in the future.
A museum in difficulty
The flooding of the library represents only the latest episode in a series of problems affecting the Louvre. In October the museum was the scene of a sensational robbery, while in November a gallery was closed to the public due to the deterioration of the structure.
To address the need for renovation and modernization, the board of directors recently gave the green light to a significant increase in ticket prices. From 2026, visitors from non-European countries will have to pay 45% more than current rates. The goal is to raise additional funds to address the building’s structural problems.
However, the museum’s numbers remain impressive: with 8.7 million visitors in 2024, of which 69% are foreigners, the Louvre firmly holds the record as the most popular museum in the world. But behind the public success lies an infrastructural reality that requires urgent and substantial interventions.
Louvre robbery: what we know
