Heritage

Protecting the Louvre: Urgent Measures for preservation

Sunday 26 January 2025 - 14:30

In response to the alarming state of the Louvre Museum, French public authorities, led by President Emmanuel Macron, are mobilizing efforts to safeguard this iconic institution. The museum’s president, Laurence des Cars, has raised an urgent concern regarding the "advanced degradation" of its buildings. In a letter to the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, des Cars highlights the "worrying level of obsolescence" within the museum, emphasizing issues like water leakage that jeopardize valuable artworks and inadequate conditions for an increasing number of visitors.

In 2024, the Louvre, France’s top cultural attraction, welcomed 8.7 million visitors, a number that underscores the pressing need for repairs. However, the museum’s current state can no longer accommodate such a high influx of guests. Recent rains have caused water infiltration in the Grand Gallery, one of the museum’s most popular sections, forcing staff to remove artwork to prevent damage.

To address the situation, the French presidency has announced a visit by President Macron to the museum, where he will unveil plans for major restoration works. The necessary budget to preserve the Louvre is expected to reach hundreds of millions of euros. One potential solution to help finance these efforts is an increase in entry fees for non-EU tourists, a proposal from Rachida Dati, though it has yet to gain widespread approval.