The Louvre Museum has closed nine rooms comprising the Campana Gallery to the public following a technical report that revealed structural weaknesses in certain beams supporting the floors. The closure, implemented on Monday, November 17, represents another setback for the world's most famous museum, coming less than a month after a spectacular burglary that resulted in the loss of precious jewels in October.
According to a museum statement reported by BFM TV, the closure affects "the south wing of the Sully quadrilateral," which "has been subject to particular building surveillance for several years." The museum announced that "during these investigations, the Campana Gallery located on the first floor of the south wing will be closed to the public as a precautionary measure."
The Campana Gallery houses an extensive collection that showcases "thousands of vases offering a very complete panorama of ancient Greek ceramics," according to the museum's official website. The gallery is named after Marquis Giampietro Campana (1807-1880), whose collection was one of the most prominent in Europe during the 19th century.
The closure was triggered by a technical study report submitted on Friday that alerted the museum administration to serious structural concerns. The report specifically highlighted "the particular fragility of certain beams supporting the floors of the second floor of the south wing," which has raised significant safety concerns for museum officials.
As a direct consequence of these structural issues, 65 museum employees "will be required to leave their offices over the next three days," the Louvre announced. This displacement affects staff working in the compromised areas of the building.
This latest incident adds to the mounting challenges facing the historic institution. In January, President Emmanuel Macron had presented an ambitious plan called "New Renaissance of the Louvre," advocating for a "restored and expanded" museum. This initiative followed a confidential report dated January 13, 2025, in which Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned about the museum's alarming condition, describing a "worrying level of obsolescence" and highlighting the "severe reality of the state of our over-solicited buildings."
The structural problems underscore the ongoing maintenance challenges facing one of the world's premier cultural institutions, as it struggles to balance public access with the preservation of its historic architecture and priceless collections.
