Eiffel Tower to be repainted golden yellow for 2024 Olympics

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is undergoing a complete repainting for the first time since 1968, costing €50 million. The color will change from the current 'Eiffel brown' to a golden yellow shade called 'giallo bruno', which was originally envisioned by Gustave Eiffel in 1907. The renovation coincides with the closure due to COVID-19 restrictions and is timed ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general of the Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, stated the new color will give the tower a more golden appearance, reminiscent of Olympic medals. The tower, completed in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition, initially faced criticism from intellectuals including Charles Gounod, Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas fils, François Coppée, and William Bouguereau. It was originally meant to stand for only 20 years but was saved by scientific experiments, including early radio transmissions. Pre-pandemic, it attracted nearly 7 million visitors annually, making it the most visited paid monument in the world.