The ex-head of Versailles, art historian Christophe Leribot, became the new director of the Louvre.

Art historian Christophe Leribeau has been appointed as the new director of the Louvre, Bloomberg reports . He will replace Laurence de Car, who resigned the day before. This was announced by the official representative of the French government, Maud Brejon.

62-year-old Leribeau headed the Palace of Versailles before his current appointment, and previously headed the Orsay Museum in Paris. France's Culture Ministry has indicated its priorities will be strengthening the museum's security and modernizing it: President Emmanuel Macron previously announced an €800 million renovation plan for the Louvre, partly financed by raising ticket prices for non-EU citizens.

It is noted that Leribo inherits a museum in deep crisis. Its main source was a robbery in the fall of 2025: four robbers opened display cases in the Apollo Hall during the day and stole jewelry from French monarchs with a total value of about $100 million.

In winter, the museum staff went on strike several times demanding higher wages and better working conditions, which is why the institution did not work. In February, a pipe burst in the Denon Gallery, where the Mona Lisa is kept, and water damaged the room with 15th-century Italian paintings. At the same time, the police uncovered a ticket fraud scheme: according to investigators, tour guides, in collusion with museum employees, escorted tourists without paying for ten years, causing damage of €10–12 million.

Laurence de Cars has led the Louvre since September 2021, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Macron, accepting her resignation, called the move an “act of responsibility” at a time when the world’s largest museum needs stability and new impetus to implement large-scale projects.