Macron announces a major overhaul to modernize Louvre and a dedicated room for the Mona Lisa

Emmanuel Macronpresident

Today, nine million visitors a year is obviously a treasure, but the access, flow and security do not allow people to visit the establishment in the best conditions.”

Macron said

Emmanuel Macronpresident

The Louvre is more than a museum, it’s part of our French identity.”

Des Cars, who spoke before Macron, said

I will not discuss the specific observations made by the president (Macron) on the state of the museum but I am welcoming the appeal to look for a different location,

she told Italian press

Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the ‘Mona Lisa’ deserves,

he said

Emmanuel Macronpresident

At a time when immediacy and forceful rhetoric seem to have hypnotic power … talking about long-term issues, culture and art is one of the messages that France can deliver to the world,

said Macron, who celebrated his first presidential victory in front of the Louvre Pyramid

We’re faced with a collective challenge. That is, how can we adapt the Louvre to expectations, welcome visitors from across the world in comfortable conditions and also be leading a commitment for artistic and cultural education?"

An official at the French presidency, who could not be named due to customary practices, said

For our colleagues, it’s a bit of a daily ordeal to get organized and keep the visitor tour moving while ensuring that everything is safe,

one employee, Elise Muller, said Tuesday on French Radio RTL

Why not offer to host the Mona Lisa in Lombardy during the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics?"

In a separate letter to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Caruso wrote

We are ready to welcome her,

Caruso said in a post on Facebook over the weekend

Another way of financing the project is to increase the number of visitors to 12 million a year,

he added

Since we have different areas every day, we’re forced to close down areas due to the various problems that can arise in the building,

she added

For more than three years now, SUD Culture and its staff have been warning about the deteriorating state of the building, its equipment, elevators and escalators,

it said

Da Vinci’s masterpiece is a work of art that appeals to the whole world,

she said

Access to the works takes time and is not always easy,

she said