<Muzeum Louvre je v žalostném stavu a žádá francouzskou vládu o pomoc> The Louvre Museum is in a sad state and is asking the French government for help

© Mark Nouss

Paris - The Louvre Museum in Paris, which is the most visited museum in the world and home to Leonardo da Vinci's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, has requested urgent assistance from the French government. The world-renowned institution needs to renovate its aging exhibition spaces and better protect countless artworks. It is even considering the addition of a new wing for da Vinci's painting. This is reported by the Reuters agency.

In a letter to French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, published by the Parisian newspaper Le Parisien and whose content has been confirmed by Reuters by the museum itself, its director Laurence des Cars warned that the centuries-old building is in a deplorable state. He also pointed out issues such as water leakage and "disturbing temperature fluctuations that threaten the preservation of artworks."

The Louvre Palace, which was built in Paris at the end of the 12th century, was for centuries the official residence of French kings. Then Louis XIV, tired of the rebellious crowds in Paris, left and relocated to Versailles. The Louvre then became a museum of the royal art collection in 1793.

Last year, the museum welcomed 8.7 million visitors, all of whom entered through the glass western entrance shaped like a pyramid designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei. This entrance is also problematic, as its greenhouse effect during summer days causes unpleasant heat in the museum's underground reception.

Visiting the Louvre has thus become, according to its director, "a physical suffering," as it is difficult to find artworks due to insufficient signage, visitors lack space for rest, and there is inadequate dining and hygienic facilities.

In addition to careful reconstruction of the entire building, the museum is also considering the construction of a new wing for da Vinci's Mona Lisa, as well as a new entrance on the eastern side to alleviate congestion in the glass pyramid.

The Louvre is designed to accommodate four million visitors annually, yet in 2018, there were over ten million. The museum's director des Cars, who took office in 2021, has thus set a ceiling of 30,000 entries per day to avoid overcrowding the landmark.

The letter does not mention funding for the necessary museum adjustments, but French television BFMTV reported that renovations could cost up to half a billion euros (12.6 billion crowns). This presents a challenge for President Emmanuel Macron's government, which has faced difficulties in parliament approving the budget for this year.

Le Parisien reported that both Macron's presidential office and the Ministry of Culture are in negotiations with Louvre representatives regarding funding for the museum's repairs. A source from Macron's circle confirmed that "the president has been closely monitoring the matter for several months." The ministry has not yet commented on the issue.

Macron delivered his victory speech after being first elected to the Élysée Palace in 2017 right in front of the Louvre. The Tuileries Gardens surrounding the former royal palace also played a prominent role during the Olympic Games in Paris last summer.