Particle.news

Louvre Details Emergency Security Overhaul as Structural Risks Close Campana Gallery

Director Laurence des Cars told lawmakers that roughly twenty actions, including 100 perimeter cameras and a mobile police post, are being deployed following last month’s jewel robbery.

Overview

  • The museum closed the Campana gallery and sealed second‑floor offices in the Sully south wing after a November 14 technical report flagged particular fragility in supporting beams.
  • Access to the affected offices is blocked and 65 employees have been temporarily relocated while complementary structural investigations proceed, with no reopening date announced.
  • Des Cars said about 100 perimeter cameras will be installed by late 2026, anti‑intrusion systems begin rolling out within two weeks, and a new security coordinator role has been created.
  • The October 19 theft saw eight crown jewels stolen in under eight minutes using a forklift and disk cutters; several suspects have been charged, and most pieces remain missing.
  • Security concerns intensified after two Belgian creators posted video showing they hung a portrait near the Mona Lisa, and a recent auditors’ report found security modernization lagged, with only 39% of rooms camera‑equipped in 2024.