The Albany Gazette - Louvre launches appeal as part of new fundraising drive

The bosses of the creaking former palace, which was targeted by thieves last year, are hoping to raise 800,000 euros ($900,000) to overhaul the Cour du Sphinx (Sphinx Courtyard) in the Denon wing, which is home to the Mona Lisa and other masterpieces.

"At the heart of the museum’s most visited wing, the courtyard will be designed as a calm space, ideal for taking a break during a visit," the museum said in a statement.

Its glazed roof dating from 1934 will be replaced, walls will be restored "to address damage caused by water infiltration" while a new floor is also set to be installed, the statement added.

The Louvre is also inviting visitors to imagine a new name for the space which takes its current title from the Sphinx of Tanis sculpture which was displayed there between 1826 and 1848.

The Louvre's new head, Christophe Leribault, who took over in the aftermath of last year's embarrassing break-in, has outlined a vast restoration plan for the world’s biggest museum budgeted at more than one billion euros.

With France's government under pressure to trim spending, he has indicated he would seek around a third, or 330 million euros, from private sources.

Various groups already raise funds for the museum, including the historic Amis du Louvre (Friends of the Louvre), as well as the American Friends of the Louvre.

For the last two years, the museum has gathered celebrities and philanthropists for an annual gala dinner during the spring-time Paris Fashion Week, which raised 1.6 million euros in 2026.

On October 19, 2025, robbers disguised as construction workers broke into the museum in the morning using a truck-mounted lift and stole eight crown jewels, worth around $100 million.

(F.Jackson--TAG)