Louvre shuts gallery over ceiling safety fears

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Paris (AFP) – The Louvre said Monday it was closing one of its galleries as a precaution after an inspection found structural flaws in some of the building's beams.

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The Campana Gallery, which houses nine rooms dedicated to ancient Greek pottery, will be closed while research is carried out on “some of the beams supporting the second floor floors” above it, the statement said.

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The announcement has nothing to do with the recent robbery of the world's most visited art gallery, but is even more unwelcome news for an institution that has come under fire in France for security lapses.

Last month, a gang of four raided the Louvre with a retractable ladder and power tools in broad daylight, stealing jewelry worth an estimated $102 million in front of horrified visitors.

Before the break-in, the museum's chief administrator publicly warned about conditions inside the former royal palace, whose vast galleries attracted 8.7 million visitors last year.

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In January, Louvre head Laurence de Carse warned in a memo of “spreading damage in the museum's premises, some of which are in very poor condition.”

Some areas “are no longer waterproof, while others experience significant temperature swings, jeopardizing the preservation of the art,” she added.

– “Unpredictable –

The Campana Gallery is located on the first floor of the Sully Wing at the far eastern end of the complex, and the second floor above it is considered to have structural problems, according to the museum.

The area is currently used as office space and safety concerns were caused by “recent and unpredictable events”, the museum said.

The 65 people who normally work there are being relocated pending further investigation.

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“During these investigations, the Campana Gallery… will be closed to the public as a precaution,” the statement said.

A spokeswoman told AFP the gallery was closed on Monday but its priceless artifacts – thousands of vases, cups and various containers – would not be moved for now.

The entire museum was closed for three days following the October 19 robbery.

The window broken by thieves, visible from the sidewalk outside and the River Seine, has since become a tourist attraction.

Four people were charged with burglary in difficulty, including two men who allegedly carried out the break-in, according to prosecutors.

They are believed to be petty criminals who left a long trail of DNA evidence and lost part of their reward, notably the diamond and emerald-studded crown that once belonged to Empress Eugenie.

The authorities have still not been able to recover the stolen jewelry.

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