The Mona Lisa will be temporarily moved for the refurbishment of its hall

The Mona Lisa, the most famous masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci and perhaps of all art history, will be moved. Make no mistake, however: the work will not leave the Louvre, and the move will be a few meters, to allow for the refitting of its room, the Salle des �tats. The Mona Lisa will therefore be temporarily relocated to the Galerie Médicis from July 17 until the end of the work, scheduled for mid-October: it will be displayed in an air-conditioned box specially made for the painting.

The renovations to the Salle des Ã?tats were necessary for several reasons, namely to cope with the substantial increase in visitors in recent years, to ensure higher standards of safety, accessibility and conservation, to renovate spaces that have deteriorated over time, and to improve the working conditions of the Louvre staff. The renovations are part of the Grand Louvre project, which has been underway since 2014: since then, more than 34,000 square meters of the great Paris museum have been spruced up. Obviously, all the works in the Salle des Ã?tats will be moved, with the exception of Veronese’s Wedding at Cana, which are too bulky and delicate: they will therefore be covered with appropriate protections.

The Galerie Médicis, where there is a cycle of 24 canvases by Rubens that once decorated Palace Luxembourg, was deemed the most favorable environment to exhibit the Mona Lisa: it is one of the largest rooms in the Louvre, can accommodate a large number of visitors, and will house the painting on a temporary wall. Moreover, the Louvre is taking the opportunity to remark that the Mona Lisa is very fragile and cannot leave the museum: even within the walls of the Louvre, moves are rare (the last time between 2001 and 2005, when it was moved to the Salle Rosa during the previous work campaign in the Salle des �tats).

The Mona Lisa will be temporarily moved for the refurbishment of its hall

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