Louvre closes gallery due to structural issue

The Louvre museum in Paris has introduced it’s closing one in all its galleries due to structural weaknesses.

The Campana Gallery – consisting of 9 rooms which host Greek ceramics – will stay shut as engineers examine “sure beams supporting the flooring”, the Louvre stated.

The announcement provides to the museum’s unwelcome consideration following a high-profile heist final month by which jewels price €88m (£76m; $102m) had been taken.

Criticism has targeted on lax safety on the world’s most-visited museum within the French capital.

4 folks have been arrested over the heist, however the jewels haven’t been recovered.

In a press release on Monday, the Louvre stated that structural points in workplaces on the second flooring – above the Campana Gallery within the Sully wing of the museum – had led to its determination.

“Throughout these investigations, the Campana Gallery… might be closed to the general public as a precautionary measure,” it stated.

Three weeks after the jewel theft, a report was launched by which the Court docket of Auditors criticised managers who had most popular to spend money on new artworks and exhibitions quite than fundamental repairs and safety of the museum.

Basing its findings on the years 2018-24, the report discovered the museum had spent €105.4m (£92.7m) on shopping for new artworks and €63.5m on exhibition areas.

However on the similar time it spent solely €26.7m on upkeep works, and €59.5m on restoration of the palace constructing.

On the day of the heist, the suspects arrived at 09:30 (07:30 GMT), simply after the museum opened to guests.

The suspects arrived with a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical carry to achieve entry to the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) through a balcony near the River Seine. The lads used a disc cutter to crack open show instances housing the jewelry.

Prosecutors stated the thieves had been inside for 4 minutes and made their escape on two scooters ready exterior at 09:38, earlier than switching to automobiles.

One of many stolen objects – a crown – was dropped throughout the escape. The opposite seven jewels haven’t been discovered.

The concern is that they’ve already been spirited overseas, although the prosecutor in control of the case has stated she continues to be hopeful they are often retrieved intact.

These arrested over the heist that shocked France had been all petty criminals quite than organised crime professionals, Paris’s prosecutor has stated.

For the reason that incident, safety measures have been tightened round France’s cultural establishments.

The Louvre has even transferred a few of its most valuable jewels to the Financial institution of France.