The Gioconda’s new “housing”

La Gioconda, the “most famous painting in the world”, the absolute primadonna of the Louvre Museum, has finally found its own place. Since 6th April the millions of visitors which crowd the museums rooms and galleries each year can admire Leonardo’s masterpiece in the Grand Gallery, where architect Lorenzo Piqueras has created a large wall showcasing and highlighting the Monna Lisa.

The main novelty is the extraordinary display case protecting the legendary picture: a large display case made of bullet-proof glass, a veritable transparent safe, made by Laboratorio museotecnico Goppion with the threefold aim of ensuring absolute security against theft, vandals and even terrorists. It provides perfect conservation, in an atmosphere which can maintain ideal microclimate conditions, and maximum visibility to enhance the celebrated smile and the supreme quality of Leonardo’s sfumato.

On this occasion our Laboratorio museotecnico has collaborated with the Milan Politecnico. The innovative technology applied in the display case, a twofold passive and active air-conditioning system, is being used in a museum for the first time ever and has been implemented by Cesare Maria Joppolo, in charge of the air circulation and environmental conditioning in the above mentioned Milan University (Politecnico).