The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum and home to Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” has requested urgent help from the French government to restore and renovate its ageing exhibition halls and better protect its countless works of art.

In a memo to the French culture minister leaked this week, Laurence des Cars warned of the "proliferation of damage" in galleries.

French President Emmanuel Macron will next week visit the Louvre after the Paris museum's director issued a warning about the dire conditions for visitors and artefacts, the presidency said.