On the right bank of the Seine in the center of Paris rises a magnificent baroque palace complex, which contains a grandiose collection of masterpieces of art from ancient and Western European civilization. This is the world famous Louvre Museum.
History of creation and interesting facts
Before becoming the largest in the world, the palace survived many tragedies, intrigues, conspiracies and uprisings. At various times, it served as a medieval fortress, a royal residence and a people's assembly. The formation of the complex is inextricably linked with the history of France.
At the end of the 12th century, on the initiative of King Philip II Augustus, a fortress was erected to protect Paris from the invasion of the Normans and the British. The structure was a cylindrical tower surrounded by reliable high walls with massive gates. The medieval feudal castle was named the Louvre, which means “to be on guard” in Frankish. It housed the treasury, valuable archives and a prison.
Over time, Paris grew. The appearance of new buildings around the fortress contributed to a significant transformation of the Louvre. Caught in the center of the city, the castle lost its defensive value. In the XIV century, the monarch Charles V transforms the gloomy citadel into a royal residence. New towers were built, a luxurious garden was laid out and pompous royal apartments were equipped. Harsh winters, famine, plague, peasant uprisings and wars with England for many years led the residence of the French kings into a miserable state.
Throughout the XV century, the Louvre was in disrepair. Monarchs lived far from the capital. Cardinal changes took place in the 16th century, when Francis I ascended the throne of France, returning the royal residence to Paris. The castle is completely rebuilt in the Renaissance style. Instead of medieval tower structures and walls, the long construction of the palace begins with new wings, a courtyard, an arcade gallery, expanded state rooms, a covered passage and decorated facades.
The reconstruction of the Louvre was put on hold for some time when, in 1682, King Louis XIV decided to move his residence to Versailles (a suburb of Paris). Despite the fact that the building remained unfinished, French painters, sculptors, scientists and itinerant traders were housed in the royal apartments. Since 1699, art exhibitions for the privileged nobility began to be held in the palace.
After the French Revolution, the Louvre becomes the cultural heritage of the people. It opened the first art museum in France. From now on, Parisians can admire the masterpieces of art from the royal collection. The complex became available for public viewing. During the reign of Napoleon I, the Louvre is replenished with new works of art confiscated from the nobility, emigrants and clergy. The military victories of the emperor enriched the complex with unique exhibits taken by the French troops from the conquered countries.
Royal Palace
For several centuries, the royal palace of the Louvre, which is the symbol of the French state, has been repeatedly rebuilt and expanded. Each monarch made his own adjustments to the appearance of the architectural complex. It acquired its present form in 1871. The perimeter is over 1.5 kilometers.
The architectural ensemble consists of three main buildings. One wing stretches along the Seine embankment, the other stretches parallel to the Rue Rivoli. In the center is a square building with a courtyard. The facades are decorated with luxurious arcades, colonnades with ornate capitals, pilasters, relief images, balustrades, semicircular and triangular pediments and numerous sculptures.
Create a collection
King Francis I laid the foundation for the first art collection of the Louvre. Having visited Italy, the monarch was fascinated by the splendor of the achievements of the culture of the Renaissance. He brought to France many paintings and sculptures bearing the idea of man's eternal striving for perfection. In 1517, Francis I invited the famous artist Leonardo Da Vinci to France.
The king gave the master a warm welcome and appointed him the chief court painter. After the death of the genius Leonardo, 19 of his paintings remained in the Louvre, among which the most famous canvas was the portrait of Mona Lisa. The royal collection was constantly replenished with artistic masterpieces glorifying the power of the monarchy. Especially zealous connoisseurs of works of art were the great ministers of France of different eras: Richelieu, Mazarin and Colbert.
They, without stint, acquired canvases from all over the world. Since the 19th century, archaeologists actively working in Egypt and the Middle East have contributed to the formation of the Louvre collection. Unique ancient artifacts, manuscripts and ancient statues were brought.
Louvre today
The area of the internal territory of the museum is 60,000 square meters. Every year, the attraction of the French capital is visited by more than 8 million tourists. The museum collection is represented by 370,000 exhibits dispersed in the buildings of the palace complex. Today, the Louvre is one of the largest museums in the world. The palace has a rich collection of works of art from ancient times to the middle of the 19th century. The Louvre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Kidnapping of the Gioconda
In 1911, one of the old employees of the museum freely made his way into the pavilion with works of art and stole Leonardo da Vinci's Gioconda. Only a day later, the disappearance of the canvas was discovered. For several years, the police could not find the portrait, which was located all this time in the modest apartment of the robber.
Because of the incident, an incredible scandal erupted, after which the painting by the Italian master became the most famous and mysterious masterpiece in the history of art. It became apparent that the museum was having difficulty securing the collection. The Louvre needed internal reforms in this area. Instead of the post of director of the museum, a commissioner was appointed, who increased the number of guards and introduced strict rules for visiting the Louvre. All exhibition halls were refurbished, an elevator was installed and electricity was supplied.
Why was the pyramid needed?
The glass pyramid of the Louvre serves as the main entrance. The structure was erected in 1989 by the American architect Bei Yuming, as part of a major restoration project for the complex. The structure contrasts with the magnificent buildings and gives the architectural ensemble a certain modern charm. The initial task of creating a pyramid with an underground entrance to the museum was to unload the historical entrances, which coped with the endless streams of visitors with great difficulty.
Description
It consists of three buildings. They are interconnected by an underground passage. These are the wings of Richelieu, Denon and Sully. In the spacious rooms of the Louvre, you can see numerous art objects that characterize different historical eras – paintings, sculptures, royal furniture, porcelain, tapestries, household items, jewelry, antique statues and artifacts.
The luxurious interiors of the museum are breathtaking. The halls are decorated with ceiling arches with graceful columns, frescoes and bas-reliefs. The rooms in which antique exhibits of Ancient Greece, Egypt, the Middle East are exhibited are located on the ground floors. Fine and applied arts occupy the second and third floors.
exposition
The pavilions of the Louvre represent collections of the most valuable exhibits that embody the cultural heritage of different eras and peoples. The exposition is divided into thematic zones. These are Egyptian and Middle Eastern antiques, Greek and Roman sculptures, artifacts of French kings, paintings by great artists from all over the world. Noteworthy is the large hall with an arched ceiling, where Greek sculptures stand among slender columns. Antique sculptures express the beauty of the human body.
An important place in the exposition of the Louvre is occupied by an armless marble statue of Venus de Milo. This is the world's only original of the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty with a completely preserved head. Crowds of tourists flock to see the priceless masterpiece of the museum.
The Louvre's most popular exhibition space is the art gallery. Its walls are decorated with paintings by Italian painters – Rafael Santi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Caravaggio, Leonardo Da Vinci and many others. The museum has over 6,000 paintings. The fine art collection is amazing. Before visitors are presented works of artists of the Renaissance, classicism, impressionism and modernism.
The bright exhibition hall of the Louvre is called the Apollo Gallery. The ceiling is decorated with magnificent frescoes depicting scenes from Greek mythology. The paintings are enclosed in gilded frames, decorated with ornate stucco. This room also houses a collection of jewelry of the French kings.
The most famous paintings
The pearl of the Louvre is undoubtedly the work of Leonardo da Vinci “Mona Lisa”, written more than 500 years ago. Covered in bulletproof glass, this small iconic painting is a portrait of a woman. Her peaceful and mysterious smile has fascinated visitors to the Louvre for centuries. Paolo Veronese's “Marriage at Cana of Galilee” is the largest work of art in the Louvre. It is 7 meters high and 11 meters wide. The picture depicts a biblical story. Jesus Christ, invited to the wedding, turns water into wine.
How to enter without a queue
Recommended to visit early in the morning. At this time, there are few guests of the Louvre, which allows you to pay more attention to works of art without the fuss and noise of tour groups. Tickets purchased in advance will save you from standing in long lines lined up at the ticket office of the museum. It is possible to order them via the Internet by going to the official website of the Louvre (www.louvre.fr).
Opening hours and ticket prices
The Louvre is open every day except Tuesday and the following holidays: New Year, Christmas, International Workers' Day. Open from 9:00 to 18:00 (Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) and until 21:45 (Wednesday, Friday). The cost of a ticket valid for the whole day is 15 euros.
Where is the Louvre and how to get there
Located in the center of Paris at Palais Royal, Musée du Louvre. You can get there by regular buses No. 21,27,39,68,72,95, as well as by metro to the station of the same name. It is also possible to arrive at the Louvre on a pleasure boat. The pier is within walking distance of the museum.