New Surveillance Cameras and Security Systems to be Installed at the Louvre 0 8

About 100 surveillance cameras are planned to be installed by the end of next year, and intrusion protection systems will begin operating within two weeks, said Louvre director Laurence de Car.

According to her, the new systems will be aimed at fully protecting the museum's territory and will prevent intruders from approaching its buildings, although she did not disclose details.

"After the shock, after the emotions, after assessing the situation, it is time to act," de Car stated to the French Parliament's Committee on Cultural Affairs.

It was previously reported that on the morning of October 19, when the first visitors were already in the museum, several masked robbers entered the Louvre through a balcony using a lift. Two of them broke into the building, threatened the staff, and stole jewelry while two others waited outside on scooters.

The robbery lasted only a few minutes, and the criminals managed to escape with eight items, the total value of which is estimated at 88 million euros, but their cultural and historical value is priceless.

This audacious crime shocked all of France and the world, once again raising questions about the level of security in museums.

De Car reported that other security measures will be implemented at the Louvre, including the establishment of a security coordinator position. She emphasized that enhancing security is one of the priorities within the ten-year plan "New Renaissance of the Louvre," which was launched this year and costs 800 million euros. The plan includes modernizing infrastructure, reducing visitor flow, and allocating a separate hall for the world-famous portrait of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" by 2031.

To reduce the burden of mass tourism on the museum, the number of visitors to the Louvre has been limited to 30,000 per day in recent years.

De Car reminded that the famous glass pyramid of the Louvre, opened in 1989, was designed for about four million visitors per year. This year, the museum has already welcomed more than eight million people.

"The large-scale modernization carried out by the Louvre in the 1980s is now technically outdated," the museum director acknowledged.

On Monday, the Louvre announced the temporary closure of several service areas and one public gallery due to identified damage in the building's structure.