Visitors wishing to admire the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, will pay an additional fee over and above the basic entrance fee to the Louvre, as part of the redevelopment of the site.
France’s National Commission for Heritage and Architecture has now approved the heritage specifications for a major €800 million renovation of the historic museum.
In this context, the museum’s director, Laurence des Cars, confirmed that the iconic painting will have its own “Mona Lisa Trail”, a 3,000 square metre room located under the magnificent Cour Carrée.
He said the new gallery “will enable visitors not only to study the Mona Lisa – a complex undertaking at present – but also to understand it through other projections on its history”.
The art historian told Le Figaro that it will be “of great quality, worthy of the world masterpiece it will host”.
After the renovation, visitors wishing to see the Mona Lisa will have to buy two tickets: a general admission ticket to enter the museum and a second ticket to enter the new Mona Lisa gallery. However, the amount of this additional ticket is not yet known.
General admission to the Louvre will cost €30 (£25.50) for non-EU citizens, while European visitors will be able to visit at the reduced price of €22 (£19).
With the launch of a new architectural competition on 27 June, applicants will submit their vision for the future of the Mona Lisa, in addition to the new exhibition hall and entrance area.
The decongestion of the area around the Mona Lisa is an important factor in the redevelopment of the museum, in addition to the cultural redefinition of the site.
“It will offer new stories about the Louvre’s global mission. We need to think about our showcases and give our masterpieces space to breathe,” Ms. Cars pointed out.
The plan will also include an overhaul of the cramped and damp museum, as well as opening new entrances to reduce waiting times.
According to Ms. Cars, the redevelopment of the iconic museum is expected to be completed by 2031.
The Louvre – the most visited museum in the world – attracted 8.7 million visitors in 2024 and is struggling with its popularity.
On Monday, staff walked out in protest at “overcrowding” and “deteriorating working conditions”.
While the daily visitor numbers have been reduced to 30,000, staff claim the flow of visitors is not being adequately managed and that the crowds are showing less and less respect for the museum and its workers.
