Macron announced a major renovation of the Louvre and the relocation of the "Mona Lisa" to a new space.

In the next five years, the world's most famous museum – the Louvre in Paris – will undergo a major renovation. This was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron during the presentation of a new project at the museum itself, next to Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Mona Lisa".

According to the project, a separate space will now be allocated for this painting, and viewing it will require an additional fee.

Furthermore, a second entrance for tourists will be created at the Louvre – the most visited museum in the world – to alleviate congestion at the main entrance through the famous glass pyramid located in front of the palace.

The concept for the new entrance will be developed following a specially conducted international architectural competition.

According to Macron, who initiated the "New Renaissance" project, all renovation work on the Louvre is expected to take about five years, concluding around 2031.

The "New Renaissance" project was a response to complaints from Louvre director Laurence des Cars regarding the serious queues in front of the museum and the overwhelming strain on its infrastructure, as reported by BBC.

In a letter released in January, Ms. des Cars stated that the pyramid, which has served as the sole entry point for visitors to the museum galleries since 1989, is "structurally incapable of handling" the flow of tourists, which currently exceeds 9 million annually – or 30,000 per day.

The letter also emphasized that "there is a consensus that special attention must be given to the conditions of displaying the 'Mona Lisa'."

Approximately three-quarters of museum visitors come specifically to see the famous painting by Leonardo. However, due to the long queues, Louvre security continuously ushers the crowd along, giving visitors an average of about 50 seconds to view it.

"The public cannot appreciate the artist's work, which calls into question our very mission of bringing art to the people," the letter states.

According to Macron's project, the eastern facade of the palace will be redesigned. The new entrance will provide access to new underground exhibition spaces that will connect to the main area, which is located under the pyramid.

Macron explained that the palace esplanade (the square in front of the castle) is planned to be planted with trees, effectively transforming it into a park, which aligns well with the city hall's plans for greening the central part of the French capital.

According to the president, this will help "integrate the museum into the city and return it to the Parisians."

The relocation of the "Mona Lisa" to a new space will allow the painting to be displayed properly, while also making it easier for visitors to view the other masterpieces in the museum's collection, which are often overlooked.

The total cost of the project is estimated at several hundred million euros.

Macron emphasized that the renovation will not be funded by taxpayers; instead, the work will be financed solely through ticket sales, donations, and revenues from the Louvre's partnership agreement with the venue in Abu Dhabi.

"Our Louvre is a global museum, a book from which we learn to read, as Cézanne said. Let’s bring it back to life," stated the French president.

He added that an international architectural competition will be announced in the coming months, which will be funded from the museum's own resources.