by Vivienne Mackie

Created on: March 25, 2009

The Louvre, located in the center of the city of Paris in the first arrondissement on Rue De Rivoli and along the River Seine, is a great choice to begin a Paris museum adventure. With its stunning French stone architecture and famous glass pyramid, it's the world-famous icon of France and Paris and one of the most beautiful museums in the world. It's also the biggest museum in Europe (some say, the world), in the biggest palace, with 16km of corridors for exhibition space.

The Louvre has a staggering collection of arts of all descriptions: Monumental, awe-inspiring, and sobering as visitors ponder humankind's earlier achievements in the museum's displays.

The museum's collections are housed on four levels with each floor a work of art in itself. Exquisite frescos, gilded accents and scrollwork adorn the walls, doors and moldings, with staircases and marble columns stretching under immense arched ceilings of leaded glass and detailed sculpture.

SHORT HISTORY:

The Louvre started life as a fortress built by King Philippe-Augustus in the 12th century to defend Paris from the English invaders. Saint Louis, Philippe the Beautiful and Charles V transformed it into a royal residence and eight centuries later, in 1793 during the French Revolution, it became the world's largest museum.

Francois 1 had the dungeon destroyed and extended the palace, as did Henri 11 and Catherine de Medici, who also built the neighboring Tuileries Palace (no longer extant). The Louvre was further extended under Louis X111 and Louis XIV, but then Louis XIV decided to move out and live at Versailles and it was only under Napoleon 1 that any new projects were undertaken. For example, the North Wing was started and later finished under Napoleon III, and the great court to the north, the Cour Carree, was closed off. Cour Carree literally means "square Square".

Architect Ieoh Ming Pei added the final touch when he built the famous glass pyramid in the vast open Napoleon Court. The spectacular pyramid and the Hall Napoleon below it opened in 1989. A blend of technology and simplicity, innovation and tradition, the pyramid has evoked many reactions, both positive and negative, but is now a firm part of the Louvre (and Paris) landscape.

The new Richelieu Wing, on the rue Rivoli side of the Napoleon Court, was inaugurated in 1993. From that time, the Louvre comprised 3 wings: the new Richelieu; the Denon on the River Seine side of Cour Napoleon; and the Sully, around the Cour Carree.

Visitors enter the museum

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