Mona Lisa to be moved as Macron addresses Louvre overcrowding
The Mona Lisa, which hangs in Paris's Louvre, will be moved to a new exhibition room in the museum designed specifically to show off one of the world's most famous paintings. It is part of the first major overhaul of the centuries-old building since the 1980s.
French President Emmanuel Macron laid out the plans on January 28 in a special visit to unveil the six-year 'New Renaissance' of the Louvre project.
A new entrance and exit will be added to the building, as well as an expansion of the underground space, improved signage and more accessible areas.
Macron reveals the Louvre Museum's new plans in front of the painting "La Joconde" (the Mona Lisa). /Bertrand Guay/AFP
Macron said the project would begin later this year and will be completed by 2031 at the latest.
The cost of the overhaul is believed to be hundreds of millions of dollars, though the president did not give a specific figure in his speech, which took place in front of the Mona Lisa.
The renovation will be partially funded by an increase in ticket prices for non-EU visitors.
His intervention comes after the director of the museum issued a damning appraisal of the state of the building earlier in January.
Laurence de Cars said the world's most visited museum is in a dire state, suffers from leaks and overcrowding and opined that a trip around the Louvre has become "a physical ordeal".
"Accessing the artworks takes time and is not always easy," she said. "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."
Visitors queueing at the Louvre museum in Paris. /Pascal Le Segretain/Getty
Mona Lisa on the move
Currently, Leonardo da Vinci's renowned portrait is in a side room in the Louvre, where it hangs alongside other works by Italian artists.
However, it can be hard to see at times due to the huge numbers of visitors queuing to take a selfie with the 16th-century painting.
The museum authorities believe the Mona Lisa's installation in a new, dedicated part of the museum, with teaching and information rooms nearby, will help improve the flow of people through the storied halls of the former royal palace in the center of the French capital.