The Louvre Museum in Paris has announced the temporary closure of its renowned Campana Gallery, just weeks after a daring jewel heist shocked the world’s most-visited art institution. 

The gallery, which houses one of the largest collections of ancient Greek ceramics, was shut down due to structural weaknesses in the beams supporting the second floor of the Sully wing.

The closure affects nine rooms filled with thousands of artifacts, including masterpieces such as an owl-shaped aryballos and an Attic geometric krater, some dating back over 2,500 years. Museum officials cited “the particular fragility of certain beams” as the reason for the precautionary shutdown, following a technical audit that revealed serious safety concerns.

This development comes less than a month after a £77.5 million jewel heist, in which a four-man gang used a movers’ lift to access the second floor, smashed display cases, and escaped with high-value items in broad daylight. Although the museum stated that the gallery closure is unrelated to the robbery, the timing has intensified scrutiny over the Louvre’s security and infrastructure.

French media reports indicate that 65 museum staff have been relocated from the affected area, and restoration plans are underway to reinforce the aging structure, originally designed in the 1930s.

The Campana Gallery, named after 19th-century collector Marquis Giampietro Campana, is a cornerstone of the Louvre’s classical antiquities collection. Its closure is a significant setback for scholars and visitors alike, as the museum grapples with both physical vulnerabilities and reputational damage.