The Lombardy region has offered to
host Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, regional Culture Councillor
Francesca Caruso said on Friday.
The offer was made after French newspaper Le Parisien published
a letter in which Laurence des Cars, president of the Louvre
Museum, requested urgent help from French Culture Minister
Rachida Dati to renovate its ageing exhibition halls in order to
better protect masterworks including the Mona Lisa.
"We are ready to host the Mona Lisa in Lombardy", said the
councillor.
"I will not discuss the specific observations made by the
president on the state of the museum but I am welcoming the
appeal to look for a different location" for Leonardo's iconic
masterpiece.
"I would say that, while awaiting the French government's
decision over moving" artworks and renovations, "we in Lombardy
are very happy to host this oeuvre that represents the best of
Italian art and culture".
According to Caruso, hosting the masterwork in Lombardy "would
be even more meaningful" ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in
Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
In the letter to Dati, reported by Paris daily Le Parisien, des
Cars said the Louvre, the world's most-visited museum, is in a
dire state, stressing that issues such as water leaks and
temperature swings could damage the art on display.
In addition to renovation work, the museum has been reported to
be considering building a new wing specifically for the Mona
Lisa, as well as a new entrance to ease congestion at the
pyramid-shaped western entrance designed by architect Ieoh Ming
Pei.
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