MUSÉE DU LOUVRE · MONA LISA
Mona Lisa at the Louvre: where to find her and when to go
She hangs in the busiest room of the museum. Here is the exact spot, the quiet hours, and what else is on the walls around her.
| Where | Room 711, Denon Wing, 1st floor |
|---|---|
| From the pyramid | 5 to 8 minutes on foot |
| Size | 77 × 53 cm, behind glass |
| Painted | Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503–1519 |
| Quietest | 09:00 at opening, or Wed & Fri after 18:00 |
How to get to Room 711
Signs for “La Joconde” start under the pyramid. If you lose them, follow the crowd.
- Head for DenonFrom the Hall Napoléon, take the Denon entrance escalator.
- Climb past the Winged VictoryGo up the Daru Staircase. She stands at the top.
- Into the Salle des ÉtatsWalk on into the Italian painting galleries. Room 711 opens off the Grand Gallery.
When the crowd is thinnest
- BEST09:00–10:00Go straight here at opening, before the tour groups.
- BUSIESTLate morning to afternoonExpect a slow queue to reach the front of the barrier.
- GOODWed & Fri after 18:00Late opening until 21:45, and the room empties out.
Turn around before you leave
The Louvre’s largest painting hangs on the opposite wall, and two of the most famous French canvases are a few steps away.
Why she is so famous
Leonardo kept working on the portrait for years and never handed it over to the client. The sitter is believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant.
Fame came later. In 1911 the painting was stolen from the Louvre by Vincenzo Peruggia, and the empty wall made headlines around the world. When she came back two years later, she was a celebrity.
Hear her story in front of the painting.
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