French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday during a visit to the Louvre that he is planning some transformations of the museum, French media reported.
The ten-year renovation project, called “Louvre New Renaissance” will include a new entrance next to the Seine, due to open by 2031, and the creation of underground halls, Macron said in particular.
The French president said:
“It is a renewed Louvre, restored and expanded, making it the epicentre of art history in our country and beyond. The plan will include, above all, the creation of a new grand entrance at the level of the Colonnade de Perrault, extensive and efficient, which will balance visits to the Louvre and give Parisians back access to it.”
Macron announced that the Ministry of Culture “will invest 10 million euros in a project to plan the construction work.”
The president also said he plans to move Leonardo da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa to a “special place” in the Louvre so that the painting can be seen separately from the rest of the museum’s collection.
Macron also asked Culture Minister Rachida Dati to introduce “higher differentiated prices” for tickets for foreign visitors who come from non-EU countries. The new pricing will apply from January 1, 2026.
The president expects that 12 million people will be able to visit the Louvre annually after the renovation. In 2024, about 9 million people visited the museum.
Last week, museum director Laurence de Carre appealed to the French Ministry of Culture over the emergency condition of the museum’s buildings. According to her, there is a risk of water intrusion and temperature fluctuations in some rooms. She noted that the Louvre needs major repairs. De Carre warned that such repairs would be expensive and technically complicated.
