{"id":11160,"date":"2019-09-24T11:02:30","date_gmt":"2019-09-24T10:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/?p=11160"},"modified":"2025-12-05T16:57:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T16:57:46","slug":"mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france","title":{"rendered":"Moving Mona Lisa: The Great Historical Dispute"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Every day, tens of thousands of people wait in line at<strong> the Louvre <\/strong>for a <strong>moment with the Mona Lisa, Da Vinci\u2019s famous masterpiece.<\/strong> They commit her iconic smile to memory, save it to camera roll or share it on social media. However, in summer 2019 the world\u00b4s most famous painting was at the epicentre of a publicity storm, Why? This was due to the Louvre\u00a0<strong>moving Mona Lisa <\/strong>from her home in the<strong>\u00a0<em>Salle des \u00c9tats<\/em> <\/strong>into the<strong> <em>Galerie M\u00e9dicis.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_23152\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23152\" class=\"wp-image-23152 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Complete-Louvre.jpg\" alt=\"The glass pyramid that sits about the Louvre Museum.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"814\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Complete-Louvre.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Complete-Louvre-768x521.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23152\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The glass pyramid that sits about the Louvre Museum.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#The_Story_Behind_Moving_Mona_Lisa\" >The Story Behind Moving Mona Lisa<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#Who_owns_the_Mona_Lisa\" >Who owns the Mona Lisa?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#Mona_Lisa%C2%B4s_History_and_Heritage\" >Mona Lisa\u00b4s History and Heritage\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#The_Mona_Lisa_Heist\" >The Mona Lisa Heist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#From_Courtrooms_to_Cultural_Campaigns\" >From Courtrooms to Cultural Campaigns<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#Where_Is_Mona_Lisa%C2%B4s_True_Home\" >Where Is Mona Lisa\u00b4s True Home?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#FAQ%C2%B4s_%E2%80%93_Moving_Mona_Lisa\" >FAQ\u00b4s &#8211; Moving Mona Lisa\u00a0<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#How_much_does_it_cost_to_visit_the_Louvre_to_see_the_Mona_Lisa\" >How much does it cost to visit the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#What_are_the_Louvre_Museum_opening_times_for_visiting_the_Mona_Lisa\" >What are the Louvre Museum opening times for visiting the Mona Lisa?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#Do_I_need_to_pre-book_a_time_slot_to_see_the_Mona_Lisa\" >Do I need to pre-book a time slot to see the Mona Lisa?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/mona-lisa-move-heist-dispute-italy-france\/#Are_there_plans_for_moving_Mona_Lisa_again\" >Are there plans for moving Mona Lisa again?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Story_Behind_Moving_Mona_Lisa\"><\/span>The Story Behind Moving Mona Lisa<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p>So, why was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/paris-tours\/louvre-museum-tour-tickets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Mona Lisa<\/a> moved? The reason? Simply to facilitate the renovation of the\u00a0 <em>Salle des \u00c9tats,<\/em> ahead of an <strong>exhibition in honour of the 500th anniversary of Da Vinci\u2019s death<\/strong> later that year. But, this simple change of location, which caused confusion and controversy <strong>isn\u2019t the first time the painting\u2019s relocation has caused a bit of a ruckus<\/strong>&#8230;<\/p>\r\n<p>In fact, the world\u2019s most enigmatic smile belies the drama which has surrounded Mona Lisa for centuries. Herein lies <strong>the tale of the interesting dispute over ownership, which has played out between two nations for years.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_owns_the_Mona_Lisa\"><\/span>Who owns the Mona Lisa?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>From a legal standpoint, the answer to that question is the French government. But from a figurative one? Well, that actually depends on who you ask, and on which side of the French\/Italian border they might stand.<\/p>\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mona_Lisa%C2%B4s_History_and_Heritage\"><\/span>Mona Lisa\u00b4s History and Heritage\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p>It\u2019s well known that the Mona Lisa is understood to be <strong>a portrait of an Italian woman named Lisa Gherardini<\/strong>, which was commissioned by her husband Francesco del Giocondo during the Italian Renaissance.<\/p>\r\n<p>What is perhaps lesser known is that Da Vinci, who was born in Italy but died in France 67 years later, <strong>supposedly gifted the painting to his friend King Francois I. <\/strong>\u00a0The King initially housed the portrait in the Palace of Versailles before it was moved to the Louvre. <strong>And therein lies the cultural conundrum.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Read more:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/all-around-italy\/leonardo-da-vinci-surprising-facts\"><strong>9 Facts About the Life of Leonardo Da Vinci They Didn&#8217;t Teach You in School<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_10448\" style=\"width: 614px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10448\" class=\"wp-image-10448 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/604px-Mona_Lisa_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"900\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-10448\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo via Wikicommons<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>Many assert that this confirms France\u2019s ownership &#8211; with the Louvre stating that Da Vinci, in fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/story\/italy-gives-france-red-card-over-mona-lisa-stunt-11439380\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sold the painting to the king.<\/a> Meanwhile, those who share a birthplace with Da Vinci argue that the Mona Lisa is an undeniable part of Italian history &#8211; a portrait created by an Italian, of an Italian, for an Italian.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Considering the global realm to which the painting has been elevated, the issue of heritage may seem a trivial one, but it\u2019s worth remembering that it actually acted as the motivation for one of the most infamous art robberies of the 20th century.<\/p>\r\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Mona_Lisa_Heist\"><\/span>The Mona Lisa Heist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>In <strong>August 1911,<\/strong> the half-length portrait was stolen from the Louvre by an Italian man named Vincenzo Peruggio. After concealing the painting in his Parisian home for two years, it is understood that the former Louvre worker returned to Italy with it, approached a gallery in Florence, and promptly blew his own cover.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>After two years of police work and considerable international publicity, the hunt for the painting was over. Brought before the court, Peruggio reportedly argued that <strong>the motivation for his crime was patriotic<\/strong>, and he subsequently served seven months of a 12-month sentence.<br \/><br \/>Over 100 years on from Peruggio\u2019s \u2018crime of patriotism\u2019, the debate over who can \u2018claim\u2019 ownership of the painting continues to rumble on.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_23159\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23159\" class=\"wp-image-23159 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Mona-Lisa-Louvre.jpg\" alt=\"Moving Mona Lisa from the\u00a0Salle des \u00c9tats into the Galerie M\u00e9dicis of the Louvre caused controversy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Mona-Lisa-Louvre.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Mona-Lisa-Louvre-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23159\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Around 20 to 30,000 people go to see the Mona Lisa every day!<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_Courtrooms_to_Cultural_Campaigns\"><\/span>From Courtrooms to Cultural Campaigns<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>While the original dispute may have played out in a courtroom, today\u2019s manifestation of the conflict comes in the form of cultural campaigns and online spats.<\/p>\r\n<p>In 2011, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/culture\/art\/art-news\/8599588\/Attempt-to-return-Mona-Lisa-to-Italy-dismissed.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Telegraph<\/em><\/a> reported on art historian Silvano Vinceti\u2019s efforts to raise 100,000 signatures by 2013 in support of the return of the painting to Italy. The campaign was dismissed by Vincent Pomarede of the Louvre who argued that \u2018any attempt to move the painting would cause incalculable damage.\u2019<\/p>\r\n<p>One year later, a petition containing more than 150,000 signatures <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/europe\/we-want-our-masterpiece-back-italians-petition-france-to-return-mona-lisa-to-florence-8117931.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">called on the Louvre<\/a> to return the Mona Lisa to Florence, with the aim of reinstating the painting in the Uffizi Gallery. The National Committee for Historical, Cultural and Environmental Heritage made a formal &#8211; but ultimately unsuccessful &#8211; request to France\u2019s Culture Minister at the time.<br \/><br \/>And it hasn\u2019t stopped there.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>From the world of celebrity to the World Cup, it seems anything and everything can act as a catalyst from which to ignite discussion around Mona Lisa\u2019s heritage.<\/p>\r\n<p>Indeed, during a promotional tour in 2014 for his film <em>The Monuments Men<\/em>, <strong>George Clooney is said to have weighed in on the subject of ownership<\/strong>. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/film\/2014\/feb\/14\/george-clooney-mona-lisa-france-return-italy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reports<\/a> published at the time, the actor supposedly encouraged France to return the portrait to Italy, ultimately drawing further attention to the friction which exists between the two nations on the issue.<\/p>\r\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"589\" height=\"401\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11498 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Mona-Lisa-Twitter.png\" alt=\"Mona Lisa France Italy Football Jerseys\" \/>\r\n<p>And the bone of contention made headlines again just last year when the <strong>Louvre <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MuseeLouvre\/status\/1018539239020154880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1018539239020154880&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.sky.com%2Fstory%2Fmona-lisa-frown-italians-furious-as-louvre-frenchifies-the-mona-lisa-11439380\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>tweeted<\/strong><\/a><strong> a photoshopped image of the Mona Lisa<\/strong> wearing the French football strip following France\u2019s World Cup win in July 2018.<\/p>\r\n<p>Unsurprisingly, the move went down like a lead balloon among Italian fans, who <strong>took to Twitter to rage against the museum<\/strong>. Naturally, it wasn\u2019t long before alternative versions of the image began circulating online, with irate Italians carefully doctoring the painting to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MuseeLouvre\/status\/1018539239020154880\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">illustrate Mona Lisa\u2019s supposed support of the Italian football team<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_Is_Mona_Lisa%C2%B4s_True_Home\"><\/span>Where Is Mona Lisa\u00b4s True Home?\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Courtrooms, campaigns, and Clooney aside, the long-standing dispute and contention was stirred up again by the 2019 relocation, and will no doubt continue as the heritage issue still runs deep.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>So, is the Mona Lisa now woven into the fabric of French national heritage? Or is she inextricably linked with Italian culture? Which country can lay claim? The one in which she was created or the one in which she resides? Where do you think her true home is?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div id=\"attachment_10271\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10271\" class=\"wp-image-10271 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Louvre_Mona-Lisa-only-wide_SM-copy.jpg\" alt=\"The Mona Lisa Portrait, in a Glass Case. Moving Mona Lisa is easier than you think, as the painting is much smaller in real life than it often appears in photos.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Louvre_Mona-Lisa-only-wide_SM-copy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Louvre_Mona-Lisa-only-wide_SM-copy-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-10271\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Mona Lisa is much smaller in real life than it often appears in photos.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ%C2%B4s_%E2%80%93_Moving_Mona_Lisa\"><\/span>FAQ\u00b4s &#8211; Moving Mona Lisa\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<h3 data-start=\"219\" data-end=\"297\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_does_it_cost_to_visit_the_Louvre_to_see_the_Mona_Lisa\"><\/span>How much does it cost to visit the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"298\" data-end=\"723\">A standard ticket to the Louvre Museum currently costs <strong data-start=\"353\" data-end=\"382\">\u20ac22 when purchased online<\/strong>, which is the recommended method to avoid long lines. Entry is <em data-start=\"446\" data-end=\"452\">free<\/em> for visitors under 18, EU residents under 26, and on the first Friday of each month after 6 p.m. (excluding July and August). Since <strong data-start=\"585\" data-end=\"638\">20,000\u201330,000 people visit the Mona Lisa each day<\/strong>, pre-booking your ticket is essential if you want the smoothest possible experience.<\/p>\r\n<h3 data-start=\"730\" data-end=\"813\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_Louvre_Museum_opening_times_for_visiting_the_Mona_Lisa\"><\/span>What are the Louvre Museum opening times for visiting the Mona Lisa?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"814\" data-end=\"1128\">The Louvre is generally open <strong data-start=\"843\" data-end=\"869\">9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.<\/strong>, with extended evening hours until 9:45 p.m. on Fridays. It is closed every Tuesday. Because crowds for the Mona Lisa can be intense\u2014especially around midday\u2014many visitors prefer to arrive <strong data-start=\"1059\" data-end=\"1089\">first thing in the morning<\/strong> or during the <strong data-start=\"1104\" data-end=\"1127\">late-afternoon lull<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<h3 data-start=\"1135\" data-end=\"1205\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_I_need_to_pre-book_a_time_slot_to_see_the_Mona_Lisa\"><\/span>Do I need to pre-book a time slot to see the Mona Lisa?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"1206\" data-end=\"1595\">While it\u2019s still possible to buy tickets onsite, the Louvre strongly recommends <strong data-start=\"1286\" data-end=\"1323\">booking a timed entry slot online<\/strong> in advance. Demand to see the Mona Lisa is extremely high, and pre-booking ensures entry at your selected time and helps you avoid the longest queues. Even with a ticket, expect crowds around the painting, as outlined in the article\u2019s discussion of daily visitor numbers. You can join a guided tour which allows you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/paris-tours\/louvre-museum-highlights-tour\/\">Skip-the-Line <\/a>or one that gives you exclusive access to see her more peacefully in a small group at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/paris-tours\/closing-time-louvre-tour\/\">Closing Time. <\/a><\/p>\r\n<h3 data-start=\"1602\" data-end=\"1674\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_there_plans_for_moving_Mona_Lisa_again\"><\/span>Are there plans for moving Mona Lisa again?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"1675\" data-end=\"2006\">The Mona Lisa is currently displayed in the <strong data-start=\"1719\" data-end=\"1738\">Salle des \u00c9tats<\/strong> (Denon Wing), and though it has been temporarily relocated in the past for renovations it appears that this is her home for now! Signage throughout the museum points toward the gallery, but because it\u2019s the Louvre\u2019s busiest room, expect a steady flow of visitors leading you right to it.<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_23160\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23160\" class=\"wp-image-23160 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Walks_Complete-Louvre-WEB-0002.jpg\" alt=\"Visitors taking in the spectacular rooms while touring the famous Louvre Museum.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Walks_Complete-Louvre-WEB-0002.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Walks_Complete-Louvre-WEB-0002-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23160\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Visitors taking in the spectacular rooms while touring the famous Louvre Museum.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p><strong>So, as you can see, the Louvre has continued to be the resting place of the world\u00b4s most famous portrait\u00a0 &#8211; and if you are visiting Paris, it is a must-see. Check out our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/paris\/things-to-see-in-the-louvre\">the top 13 things to see at The Louvre.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Or, <em>if you want to see the best of the collection, make the most of your visit and join our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/paris-tours\/louvre-museum-tour-tickets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Louvre Highlights Tour,<\/a>\u00a0featuring the aforementioned Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Mona Lisa found itself at the epicentre of a publicity storm in July 2019, after it was moved from the Louvre\u2019s Salle des \u00c9tats to its Galerie M\u00e9dicis. The reason? Simply to facilitate the former\u2019s renovation ahead of an exhibition in honour of the 500th anniversary of Da Vinci\u2019s death in October.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":11505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[68,137],"ppma_author":[167],"class_list":["post-11160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-culture","tag-art","tag-paris"],"authors":[{"term_id":167,"user_id":60,"is_guest":0,"slug":"niamhwalks","display_name":"Niamh McClelland","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1440ec21dbbb99710386f92548527ac4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"McClelland","first_name":"Niamh","job_title":"","description":"Niamh McClelland is a Dublin-based writer. Marrying her interest in other cultures with her love of travel, she completed an MA in Social and Cultural Anthropology in Vienna in 2012, and went onto work in digital media, focussing predominantly on - yes, you guessed it - lifestyle, culture and travel. When she's not on the job, you'll find her planning her next trip, downloading yet another podcast, and wondering whether there exists a single dish which cheese can't enhance."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11160"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11160"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24391,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11160\/revisions\/24391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11160"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=11160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}