New Director Appointed To Lead The Louvre Museum Out Of Crisis After Jewel Heist | EUROtoday

PARIS (AP) — The house of the “Mona Lisa” is getting a brand new boss. Art historian Christophe Leribault, a veteran museum director, is taking up on the Louvre, shouldering the problem of getting the world’s largest museum out of disaster after the brazen heist in October of the French crown jewels.

French authorities officer Maud Bregeon introduced the appointment on Wednesday. Leribault takes over from outgoing Louvre director Laurence des Cars, who resigned Tuesday.

The difficulties he inherits are formidable.

The daylight theft — among the many highest-profile museum thefts in dwelling reminiscence — uncovered alarming safety holes on the Paris landmark.

The former royal palace has additionally suffered a broad array of different issues which have offered an image of a treasured nationwide establishment spiraling uncontrolled.

They embody a burst pipe close to the “Mona Lisa,” water leaks that broken priceless books, growing older buildings, employees walkouts over overcrowding, understaffing and ticket value hikes for many non-European guests.

Pressure for brand spanking new management deepened in current weeks when authorities revealed a suspected decade-long ticket fraud operation linked to the museum that investigators say could have price the Louvre 10 million euros ($11.8 million).

Leribault brings a confirmed observe report. He has been working one other world-renowned French landmark and vacationer attraction, the Versailles Palace, overseeing an annual price range of about 170 million euros ($200 million). The former palace for French royalty west of Paris was the venue for Olympic equestrian sports activities when Paris hosted the summer time video games in 2024.

Leribault is also a earlier head of Paris’ Orsay Museum.

In saying Leribault’s appointment on the Louvre, Bregeon mentioned: “He will be tasked with leading important projects that are crucial for the institution’s future.”

They embody safety and modernization upgrades and the pursuit of a sweeping overhaul plan, branded “Louvre New Renaissance,” that President Emmanuel Macron is championing.

Unveiled by Macron in January 2025, the renovation, which may take as much as a decade, goals to modernize a museum extensively seen as overstretched and bodily worn down by mass tourism.

The plan features a new entrance close to the Seine River to ease stress on IM Pei’s pyramid, new underground areas and a devoted room for the “Mona Lisa” with timed entry — all supposed to enhance crowd circulate and scale back the day by day crush of tourists that has change into an emblem of the Louvre’s success and its dysfunction.

The venture is anticipated to price roughly 700 million-800 million euros ($826 million-$944 million), with funding from ticket income, state help, donations and Louvre Abu Dhabi-related revenue.

Bregeon described Leribault as “very solid, trusted” and mentioned he is anticipated to offer “vision” and “calm” to the museum.

In a press release, the Culture Ministry flagged “his extensive experience at the helm of major institutions” and mentioned Leribault will prioritize strengthening the safety and security of the Louvre’s buildings, its collections and guests and employees, and “restoring a climate of trust.”