The Louvre Museum in Paris announces a major renovation, which includes a new entrance and a Gallery dedicated to the Mona Lisa.

The Louvre, the world’s most visited museum in Paris, is undergoing a significant renovation following complaints of overcrowding and difficulty preserving the works. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the changes to be made in the Louvre Museum yesterday, in front of the Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. In front of Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th-century work, Macron announced that a special room in the museum would now be allocated for the portrait.

Currently “La Gioconda” by Leonardo da Vinci is located in the large room of the Musée du Louvre, perpetually besieged by visitors, adjacent to the so-called Grande Galerie or Galerie italienne, very rich in Renaissance masterpieces. The most famous painting in the world will be moved elsewhere, away from the Italian section of the Parisian gallery, to a new “special space” of the museum, created in the basement under the Cour Carrée, and “accessible independently of the rest of the museum, equipped to this reason for a separate entrance ticket”, to quote the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced a major redevelopment campaign for the Louvre called “Louvre, Nouvelle Renaissance”. According to a study conducted in 2109, due to intense interest and queues, visitors can only stay in front of the Mona Lisa painting for 50 seconds. This time is only enough to take a selfie, and before visitors can examine the painting, they must move away to make room for those coming behind them.

According to a study conducted in 2109, due to intense interest and queues, visitors can only stay in front of the Mona Lisa painting for 50 seconds. This time is only enough to take a selfie, and before visitors can examine the painting, they have to leave to make room for those coming behind them.

As part of the renovation, a new museum entrance will be built near the Seine River in 2031. Macron said that the museum’s resources and donors will finance the museum’s renovation and that French taxpayers will not contribute to this project. Macron also said that as of January 1, 2026, museum entrance fees for visitors from countries outside the European Union will be increased.

The renovation comes after a letter from Louvre director Laurence des Cars to the French Cultural Ministry highlighted serious maintenance issues affecting both visitors and staff. According to the letter, first published in Le Parisien, conditions inside the museum have become increasingly difficult, with visitors lacking space to rest, insufficient food and restroom facilities, and outdated signage in need of a complete redesign. The letter also pointed to climate control issues, describing a greenhouse effect inside the 36-year-old glass Pyramid designed by I.M. Pei, as well as hazardous temperature fluctuations and leaks in other parts of the building.

The Louvre’s last major renovation was in the 1980s when a large glass pyramid was designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei was constructed. However, this structure was designed to host 4 million visitors a year, and the Louvre now hosts more than twice that number.