Water leak in Louvre damages hundreds of books

A water leak at the Louvre museum in Paris has damaged hundreds of works, just weeks after thieves stole priceless French crown jewels from the museum in broad daylight.

The museum’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, said between 300-400 works, mostly books, were affected by the leak – and that the count was ongoing.

Mr Steinbock told French media the damage occurred in the Egyptian department and that the volumes are “those consulted by Egyptologists”, but that “no precious books” were affected.

The problem that caused the leak, which was discovered in late November, had been known for years, and repairs are scheduled for next year, Mr Steinbock added.

The volumes will be dried, sent to a bookbinder and restored before being returned to the shelves.

Mr Steinbock described the books as “Egyptology journals” and “scientific documentation” from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

“No heritage artefacts have been affected by this damage,” Mr Steinbock told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

He added: “At this stage, we have no irreparable and definitive losses in these collections.”

The leak is the third major issue faced by the museum – which is the most visited in the world – in as many months.

In November, structural weaknesses prompted the partial closure of one of the galleries hosting Greek vases and offices, and on 19 October, four burglars made off with jewels worth €88m (£76m; $102m), exposing glaring security gaps.

The jewels still haven’t been recovered, and the museum has since moved some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France.

A report published in October by France’s public audit body, known as the Cour des Comptes, criticised the museum’s excessive spending on artwork, which it said was “to the detriment of the maintenance and renovation of buildings.”