Visiting the Louvre museum in Paris has become a “physical ordeal”, and some spaces are in “very poor condition”, its director has said in a leaked memo.
The memo was written by Laurence des Cars for the French culture minister, Rachida Dati, but was published on Thursday (23 January) by Le Parisien newspaper (via the Guardian).
Des Cars also said the French institution’s dining options and toilet facilities are “insufficient in volume”, and certain areas “are no longer watertight”.
“Visiting the Louvre is a physical ordeal; accessing the artworks takes time and is not always easy,” Des Cars wrote.
“Visitors have no space to take a break. The food options and restroom facilities are insufficient in volume, falling below international standards. The signage needs to be completely redesigned.”
Some spaces in the museum are in “very poor condition”, Des Cars said, and certain areas “are no longer watertight, while others experience significant temperature variations, endangering the preservation of artworks”.
In the memo, Des Cars said the museum is in need of an overhaul, which would likely be expensive and technically complicated.
Even the Louvre’s glass pyramid has “major shortcomings”, De Cars said, explaining that the roof creates a “greenhouse effect” on hot days.
Paris museum in need of an overhaul
Attractions across Europe are currently attempting to deal with the effects of overtourism. For example, officials in Rome recently said visitors to the Trevi fountain would be limited to 400 people at a time, while the Acropolis in Greece now has a time-slot system.
The Louvre is designed to welcome about 4 million visitors annually, but hosted 8.7 million people in 2024.
In recent years, the world’s most visited museum has limited daily attendance and raised ticket prices to improve the visitor experience.
An art historian and curator, Des Cars previously worked as president of the Musée d’Orsay and L’Orangerie in Paris. She became the first female president of the Louvre in September 2021.
Images courtesy of the Louvre
