Emmanuel Macron , The French PM said that the British tourist must pay more to visit louver and see mona liza and a “grand new entrance” to the world’s most visited museum.
French president is targeting non-EU citizens as he seeks to raise money for the attraction, which has been plagued by overcrowding, leaks and outdated facilities.
Speaking in front of the Mona Lisa, Mr. Macron insisted that the major overhaul would not cost the French taxpayer “a single centime”.
Louvre New Renaissance
Under the title “Louvre New Renaissance”, Mr. Macron said an international architecture competition for the massive makeover would be launched in the coming months, and that the work would be completed by 2031, four years after his second term ends.
The new “grand entrance” will be opened at the building’s eastern end at the Louvre colonnade, opposite the Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois de Paris church, to take the strain off the main glass pyramid entrance.
Instead, the renovations, which the Elysée has estimated will cost €700 million to €800 million (£587 million to £671 million), will come from the museum’s “own resources”.
This will comprise private donations, the licence fee for the Louvre Abu Dhabi and “a higher differentiated [ticket] fee for foreign visitors from non-EU countries”, to come into effect on Jan 1 2026.
The current entry fee is €22 (£18.45). Mr Macron said the same principle would likely be applied to other national museums in France.
The museum’s popularity was causing a “physical strain” on the historic building, she said, adding that the Louvre required an overhaul that was likely to be costly – up to half a billion euros according to reports – and technically complicated.
The decision to move the Mona Lisa comes five years after a new queuing system was installed and the Salle des États given an overhaul. But Ms des Car said the current set-up still “puts a strain on visiting conditions in the surrounding areas”.
Italy also waded into the conversation regarding conditions inside the Louvre, with one official saying it was “ready to welcome” the Mona Lisa to Milan.
Mr Macron’s announcement came amid questions about how the Mona Lisa should be displayed in the museum. It is currently behind protective glass in the Louvre’s largest room, which regularly results in long, noisy queues.
It also means other important paintings in the same room, including by Titian and Veronese, go almost unnoticed.
