Italy request Mona Lisa's return over 'outdated' Louvre but Macron promises museum overhaul

Italy has called for the return of the Mona Lisa after Louvre director Laurence des Cars raised concerns the degradation of the building was “endangering the preservation of artworks”. French President Emmanuel Macron has since announced plans to overhaul the world famous art gallery.

Writing to Culture Minister Rachida Dati earlier this month, Ms des Cars said the Paris landmark is threatened by “obsolescence”, according to the document first released by French newspaper Le Parisien. She warned about the gradual decay of the building due to water leaks, temperature variations.

The pyramid that serves at the museum’s entrance, unveiled in 1989 as part of late President Francois Mitterrand’s project, now appears outdated. The place is not properly insulated from the cold and the heat tends to amplify noise, making the space uncomfortable for both the public and the staff, Ms des Cars stressed. In addition, the museum suffers from a lack of food offerings and restroom facilities, she said.

Following the news of the Louvre’s current poor state, Italian official in Milan, Francesca Caruso, has asked for a temporary return of the painting - known in Italy as La Gioconda. In a social media post, the regional assessor for culture of Italy’s Lombardy region said “we are ready to welcome her”, referring to Leonardo da Vinci’s most well known work.

Leonardo had a significant connection to Milan having lived there for 17 years. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Mr Caruso said the Renaissance portrait represented “Italian genius”, saying: “Milan would be the ideal location to display the work.”

However, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday (January 28) that the Mona Lisa is set to get its own dedicated room inside the museum, which he said will be renovated and expanded in a major overhaul that will take years to complete. Making a speech from the Louvre room where the Mona Lisa is displayed, Mr Macron said the work will include a new entrance near the River Seine, to be opened by 2031, and the creation of underground rooms.

“We’re faced with a collective challenge,” an official at the French presidency said. “That is, how can we adapt the Louvre to expectations, welcome visitors from across the world in comfortable conditions and also be leading a commitment for artistic and cultural education?”

Mr Macron did not disclose the cost, estimated to run into hundreds of millions of euros, to modernise the most visited museum in the world, which is plagued with overcrowding and outdated facilities, however, any renovation work at the former royal palace is expected to be costly and technically complicated.

The Mona Lisa is currently on display behind protective glass in the museum’s largest room, which becomes overcrowded with long, noisy queues of visitors eager to take a selfie with the masterpiece. The Louvre’s most recent overhaul dates back to the 1980s, when the iconic glass pyramid was unveiled, designed to receive four million annual visitors. Last year, the Louvre received 8.7 million visitors, more than three-quarters being tourists mostly from the United States, China and neighbouring countries Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain.