LOUVRE CLOSES DUE TO OVERWHELMED STAFF

The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum. Not only is the building itself an artwork, but the museum houses pieces by world-famous artists, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The summer months are usually the museum’s busiest months as hundreds of thousands of people move through the building every month.

But on Monday, the museum decided to keep its doors shut.

Not because there’s a worldwide pandemic, a war, a terrorist threat or because of the weather. No, the reason behind the closed doors was the staff. They’re overwhelmed.

On Monday morning, during a routine meeting, the gallery attendants, ticket agents and security personnel all decided that they wouldn’t be opening the doors.

Outside, there were thousands of people waiting to enter and view the artwork, especially the Mona Lisa.

But inside, the staff kept true to their word and didn’t open the doors. For 10 years, staff inside the museum have been complaining about water leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure and foot traffic that’s too much for the museum to handle.

The museum was designed to accommodate between 3 and 4 million visitors each year. Last year alone, it welcomed 8.7 million visitors.

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised renovations and new rules, but so far, nothing has been done.

Image credit: Artforum