Louvre Museum Paris
Louvre Museum Paris - Tourist Attractions in Paris!
The Louvre is the largest museum
of the world and with its 19 hectares comprehensive exhibition floors
attracts more than five million visitors annually. The museum lies
centrally, between the Jardin des Tuileries, the Forum and Notré
Dame. In 1989 a new entry was built, of glass in the form of a pyramid
which gives the Louvre a well known characteristic status.
The pyramid, the Louvre entrance, was designed by an American-Chinese architect
called Ieoh Ming Pei. At the beginning it was laughed at as a “greenhouse”.
Today it is considered the symbol of the new image of the Louvre.
The Louvre was in bad condition at the beginning of the eighties,
however has been completely restructured. The monument stands unprotected
from wind and weather which is unfortunate for tourists when joining the queue
to buy a ticket. Visiting the Louvre Museum is a very popular thing to do for many
Paris lovers particularly when it rains. The visitors are directed underground in
different directions. Around the central entrance hall the tourist will find service
facilities such as book shops, restaurants, souvenir shops, trendy clothing accessory
and fashionable shops, first aid stations, baby changing tables and baggage deposits.
The oldest mention of the Louvre has been took place around the 1200 century
as the king’s castle was built. The building of today's complex was from 1515
to 1547 under Franz the I. and his successor Heinrich II. who continued these
efforts until 1559. Katharina de' Medici continued to build until 1563.
After
the French revolution in 1793 the former palace, where until 1682 the French
kings resided, was turned into the central museum of art in France.
The paintings and collections of the King were housed already in these premises,
which now became accessible to the public and hence grew into one of the most
famous tourist attractions for art lovers in the world.
Over 300,000 pieces are held in the Louvre Museum. The most well-known is certainly the painting
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. In 1804 Napoleon donated his bedroom painting to the Louvre Museum.
Some further art attractions are: The Venus of Milo (statue), Erasmus of Rotterdam,
Napoléons I. (of Louis David), (sculpture of Guillaume Coustou), and the Slave (sculpture of Michelangelo).
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