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The Louvre Museum, a jewel of French culture and the most visited museum in the world, has announced it will close the Campana gallery. The decision was made on November 17th, following technical inspections that revealed serious structural weaknesses in several floor beams supporting the historic building's second floor.
According to an official statement from the museum, the closure is aimed at urgently conducting in-depth inspections and addressing issues related to "some second-floor support beams" located directly above the exhibition area. The Campana Gallery comprises nine valuable rooms filled with exquisite ceramic artifacts from ancient Greek civilization – historical witnesses thousands of years old.
Although the 65 staff members working in this area have been reassigned to other duties, and the exhibits remain in place, experts and the public alike are still concerned about the actual condition of the Louvre Palace, a structure first built in the late 12th century.
This infrastructure failure once again raises the alarm about the maintenance and upgrading of a massive architectural heritage site, which served as the official residence of French monarchs for centuries before becoming the Royal Art Museum in 1793.
The Louvre Museum's Campana Gallery, located behind a sealed pyramid originally constructed in the 1930s, houses a collection of Greek vases and also contains the museum's offices.
Significantly, the closure of the Campana exhibition area occurred shortly after a daring robbery that shocked French and international public opinion and shook the museum's reputation.
On October 19th, just a month ago, a group of four thieves brazenly broke into the museum in broad daylight using a ladder and sophisticated electronic tools. They stole jewelry estimated to be worth $102 million, much to the astonishment and helplessness of visitors.
To date, police have arrested four suspects in connection with the incident, but the stolen jewelry has yet to be recovered. The case has sparked strong criticism in France, forcing the Louvre's senior management to publicly address serious security flaws.
Prior to the break-in, management had publicly warned about the deteriorating condition inside the former royal palace, which last year welcomed a staggering 8.7 million visitors.
First built in Paris in the late 12th century, the Louvre Palace served as the official residence of French monarchs for centuries.
Although the museum insists that the structural issues at Campana are not directly related to the robbery, the temporary closure of a crucial area only adds to the image and management pressures the museum is facing. From protecting priceless works of art to ensuring the integrity of the historic building itself, the Louvre is facing a major challenge requiring urgent and decisive intervention.
