The star of one of the world’s most renowned art museums will be getting her own space. As part of a massive renovation project of the Louvre in Paris, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” will be displayed in a special exhibit independent from the rest of the museum.
What will it all entail?
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the move as part of renovation efforts to the museum on Tuesday, Jan. 28, including a new entrance near the Seine River set to open by 2031.
Both changes are designed to alleviate overcrowding around the “Mona Lisa” and the iconic glass pyramid. New underground rooms will also be built to expand the museum’s space, according to Macron.
The entire project is expected to span up to a decade, but the museum will remain open during the renovations.
How long will it take and how much will it cost?
This will be the first major overhaul to the museum since the 1980s and will reportedly cost hundreds of millions of dollars, though no specific numbers have been shared by the museum or the French government.
Macron did, however, promise the project will not be paid for by taxpayers, noting that it will be funded by the museum’s revenue, including donations and tickets, which will cost visitors from outside the European Union (EU) more starting next year.
What to know
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, the move to renovate the Louvre comes after the museum’s director warned the French culture minister in a recently leaked memo of deteriorating areas of the building no longer able to support a growing flow of visitors, as well as leaks and temperature changes threatening iconic pieces of art.
