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05 July 2020After almost four months of closure, the Louvre reopens its doors to visitors starting from 6 July, respecting the safety regulations and the quota entrances.

The closure of the museum, caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, resulted in a loss of 40 million euros.

For the visit to the Parisian museum par excellence, the gallery managers strongly advise you to book online , to have guaranteed access to the museum and avoid overcrowding. Only if the Louvre has not sold the 400 tickets provided every half hour, tourists can enter without having booked. 

70% of the spaces will be open to visitors while the remaining 30% of the rooms will remain closed, including the second floor of the Sully and Richelieu wings, which include a large part of paintings from Northern Europe and from the French collections prior to the Revolution. However, 30,000 works distributed over 45,000 square meters will be accessible. The night openings are currently canceled, but some guided tours will be organized during the summer.

At least until September, the mask will be mandatory from 11 years. Visitors must arrive as they already have them, because the museum will not provide them. During the visit the public will have to follow an established path and the use of the mask must be maintained for the duration of the visit. 

To contemplate the Mona Lisa , you will enter the Grande Galerie and exit on the other side of the Salle des Etats, through the Salle Denon. Mona Lisa can be contemplated for 10-15 minutes and after respecting a queue for access, to avoid crowding the room where the Mona Lisa is located.

"We expect 8,000 to 10,000 visitors a day, without being sure to reach them," admitted museum president and director Jean-Luc Martinez during a press conference organized in a museum that is still deserted. "It is not defeatism, but an observation. At best, during the summer we will have 20 to 30% of our usual presences". But the fact that the museum, usually stormed by 10 million visitors, 75% of which foreigners will have a lower turnout is good news for the French, and in particular for the Parisians. For them, and for the few European tourists, it will be the end of long lines in front of the pyramid, in front of the entrance and then in front of Mona Lisa. "This health crisis is an opportunity to win back a local audience," said Martinez. As of June 23, only 12,000 people had booked a visit for the month of July and almost no reservations had been made for the month of August.

The Louvre does not plan to return to normal for three years.

With the reopening of the Louvre it will face the huge economic loss that the museum suffered during the lockdown. For the moment the museum will have to rely on the State, its principal f initiator with 90 million euros per year to continue.