Louvre
Musee du Louvre, the Louvre museum, or as it is referred to in popular culture, the Louvre is the biggest museum in Paris and one of the largest in the world. In fact, it boasts the highest number of visits for any art museum in the world. The Louvre ranks among the top visitor attractions in Paris, next to the Eiffel Tower. The Louvre is a monumental structure, and its long history makes it one of the highly preserved historic monuments by the City of Paris. It lies adjacent to the Jardin des Tuileries which encourages a reflective walk of appreciation after spending time at the historic museum.
Located in the 1st arrondissement next to the Seine, The Louvre did not always start as a museum. The initial construction was meant to be a fortress, commissioned by Philip II. Long after, the building was continually extended to the present structure. Used as a royal household by Louis XIV, the Louvre was then dedicated as a display for the royal collections after he moved out to the Place of Versailles. It was officially opened as a museum in 1793 with only a few hundred paintings. They were increased during Napoleon’s rule, but after his downfall, most of them were seized and repossessed by their original owners. However, during the Second Empire, the collection increased significantly, and has grown steadily ever since. The Louvre now boasts over 35000 artistic works from throughout history and all of them are on display in the different wings of the museum. As far as the design of the building goes, the Louvre boasts a classical architectural design which is consistent in all the buildings that make up the rectangular museum.
The Louvre is always a buzz with activity, with art lovers crowding the museum at every turn. The iconic glass pyramid has come to be associated with the Louvre and features repeatedly in any references to the museum. Inaugurated in 1988, the glass pyramid is itself a colossal structure and a popular gathering area for both tourists and Parisians. It also marks the entrance of the Louvre. A similar but much smaller inverted pyramid is available inside the Louvre in the Carrousel du Louvre. It’s a shopping mall with different food courts and stalls.
The Louvre is characterized with its huge collection of artefacts, antiquities, paintings, decorative art works and sculptures from the 19th century backwards. As initially mentioned, the number of works of art stands at about 35000, but as far as the entire collection goes, there are hundreds of thousands of objects on display. They are of mixed history and some of them are thousands of years old. This is exactly what you would expect from a world-class museum, so you can rest assured a trip to the Louvre, no matter how brief, will never disappoint. As far as the collection goes, it features works from early Egyptian civilizations, Mesopotamia and Persian civilizations, Greek and Roman works, Islamic art, sculptures, decorative arts, Paintings and drawings. These are conveniently arranged in eight departments to ease your navigation and help you find the exhibit that interests you the most. Some of the most widely known works present at the museum include Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Venus De Milo and Winged Victory among many others.
The Louvre offers so much than one can take in, in just a single day. When in Paris for an extended stay, you would need to dedicate at least two days to fully appreciate the Louvre. Always abundant with visitors, a museum pass would allow you to gain access to the museum without having to queue for tickets. For every first Sunday of every month, The Louvre, like many other museums in Paris gives a free pass to any willing visitor. Of course at the time, so many people usually show up and the only way to see the displays is to arrive earlier than everybody else. Photography and video recording is allowed inside the museum if you want to take the memories home with you.
The Louvre lives up to its world status as one of the best art museums in the world. With its many exhibitions, you are bound to have a great time admiring the work of history’s most gifted artists, painters and sculptors.