Louvre (Louvre) description and photos - France: Paris
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Louvre description and photos - France: Paris. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Louvre. Photo and descriptionThe Louvre was both a fortress and a royal palace, and now it is one of the largest museums in the world, receiving up to 10 million visitors a year. Built in 1190 year under Philippe-August as a fortress, the Louvre lost its defensive functions in the 14th century, and the architect of Charles V Raymond du Temple began to transform it into a royal residence. In the 16th century, under Francis I, through the efforts of the architect Pierre Lescaut and the sculptor Jean Goujon, a Renaissance palace stood on the site of the medieval Louvre. Work continued under Henry II (the Hall of Caryatids appeared, unified facades in the style of the French Renaissance), under Charles IX and Henry IV (a gallery connecting the Louvre with the Tuileries). The reign of two Louis XIII and XIV had a great influence on the expansion of the palace: the Square Court was completed, the eastern facade with a colonnade was created. Jacques Lemercier, Louis Le Vaux, Nicolas Poussin, Giovanni Francesco Romanelli, Charles Lebrun worked on architecture and interiors. However, in 1627, the courtyard moved to Versailles, the Louvre was empty. Even then, it was proposed to create an art gallery in it. Collections of paintings, sculptures, jewelry began to be compiled even under Charles V. By the 18th century, many masterpieces were kept in the Louvre, among which were the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt. In 1750, for the first time, a hall was opened here for the public display of paintings from the royal collection. The Great French Revolution nationalized the collection, added confiscated church property, and in 1793 the museum opened its doors to the public. Since then, the collection has been constantly replenished - during the time of Napoleon, the Restoration and so on until the Second World War. Even before the war, in 1938, when Germany captured the Sudetenland, museum workers realized that the exhibits had to be saved. Many valuable works of art were sent to the Chambord castle, and when the war began, most of the remaining paintings and sculptures were transported there and to other castles. At the beginning of 1945, after the liberation of France, the masterpieces began to be returned to the Louvre, including the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, Venus de Milo, Nika of Samothrace. Tourists from all over the world still admire these Louvre pearls. There are about 400 thousand exhibits in the museum - you can't see everything in one visit, it is better to outline several objects or themes. There is plenty to choose from: The Louvre has a solid collection of Egyptian, Middle Eastern, Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities (among the unique exhibits are ancient Egyptian statues of a seated scribe and Pharaoh Ramses II, a stele with the code of laws of Hammurabi), wonderful collections of Islamic and decorative and applied art, as well as a huge number of paintings, sculptures, engravings. The latest architectural addition is the main entrance in the form of a glass pyramid, erected in 1989 by the American architect Yo Ming Pei. The pyramid sparked controversy because of its stark contrast with the classical appearance of the palace, but it was she who allowed the museum to give a spacious entrance without touching the historical buildings. Tips
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