The Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece that visitors crowd in to see will get a dedicated room as the Paris museum is renovated and expanded in a major overhaul that will take years, the French president announced Tuesday.

The French president said the project would be paid for by the museum’s own resources and private donors, not taxpayer money.

French President Emmanuel Macron is due to visit the Louvre on Tuesday after its director issued a warning about leaks, overcrowding and sub-standard catering in a confidential note that has raised

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced an extensive renovation plan for the Louvre Museum in Paris, targeting issues of overcrowding and outdated infrastructure. The overhaul will include a dedicated room for the Mona Lisa,

French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled plans to renovate the Louvre as part of a so-called 'New Renaissance' project, days after the museum's director warned that the building was dilapidated.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the renovation will include a new entrance near the Seine and underground rooms. There will also be a dedicated room for 'Mona Lisa.'

French president targets non-EU citizens as he seeks to raise money for attraction plagued by overcrowding and leaks

A multi-year overhaul will see a new entrance built as well as a separate underground gallery for Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece in what Mr Macron called a "new renaissance".

Macron visited the museum days after Le Parisien newspapers reported on a confidential memo that the Louvre's director, Laurence des Cars, sent to Culture Minister Rachida Dati. According to the newspaper, the director warned of “a proliferation of damage to the museum’s spaces, some of which are in a very poor condition.”

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday (Jan 28) that the Louvre would be "redesigned, restored and enlarged" after the director of the world's most visited museum voiced alarm about dire conditions for visitors and its collections.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the Louvre would be "redesigned, restored and enlarged" after the director of the world's most visited museum voiced alarm about dire conditions for visitors and its collections.

With upgrades including a separate room for the Mona Lisa, the renovation of Paris' Louvre Museum is expected to cost between $730 million and $825 million over the next decade.