The home of the ‘Mona Lisa’ has a new boss to steer the Louvre out of crisis after jewel heist

PARIS (AP) — The home of the “Mona Lisa” is getting a new boss. Art historian Christophe Leribault, a veteran museum director, is taking over at the Louvre, shouldering the challenge of getting the world’s largest museum out of crisis after the brazen heist in October of the French crown jewels.

French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon announced Wednesday that Leribault is taking over from outgoing Louvre director Laurence des Cars, who resigned Tuesday.

The difficulties he inherits are formidable.

The daylight robbery — among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory — exposed alarming security holes at the Paris landmark.

The former royal palace has also suffered a broad array of other problems that have presented a picture of a treasured national institution spiraling out of control.

They include a burst pipe near the “Mona Lisa,” water leaks that damaged priceless books, aging buildings, staff walkouts over overcrowding, understaffing and ticket price hikes for most non-European visitors.

Pressure for new leadership deepened in recent weeks when authorities revealed a suspected decade-long ticket fraud operation linked to the museum that investigators say may have cost the Louvre 10 million euros ($11.8 million).

Leribault brings a proven track record. He has been running another world-renowned French landmark and tourist attraction, the Versailles Palace, overseeing an annual budget of about 170 million euros ($200 million). The former palace for French royalty west of Paris was the venue for Olympic equestrian sports when Paris hosted the summer games in 2024.

Leribault also is a previous head of Paris’ Orsay Museum.

“He will be tasked with leading important projects that are crucial for the institution’s future,” Bregeon said as she announced Leribault’s appointment at the Louvre.

They include security and modernization upgrades and the pursuit of a sweeping overhaul plan, branded “Louvre New Renaissance,” that President Emmanuel Macron is championing.

Unveiled by Macron in January 2025, the renovation, which could take up to a decade, aims to modernize a museum widely seen as overstretched and physically worn down by mass tourism.

The plan includes a new entrance near the Seine River to ease pressure on I.M. Pei’s pyramid, new underground spaces and a dedicated room for the “Mona Lisa” with timed access — all intended to improve crowd flow and reduce the daily crush of visitors that has become a symbol of the Louvre’s success and its dysfunction.

The project is expected to cost about 1.15 billion euros ($1.35 billion) according to a recent report from France’s court of auditors. It will be partly funded by ticket revenue, state support, donations and income from the Louvre branch in Abu Dhabi.

Bregeon described Leribault as “very solid, trusted” and said he’s expected to provide “vision” and “calm” to the museum.

In a statement, the Culture Ministry highlighted “his extensive experience at the helm of major institutions” and said Leribault will prioritize strengthening the security and safety of the Louvre’s buildings, its collections and visitors and staff, and “restoring a climate of trust.”