The Monuments of Paris – Le Louvre

On our way to Notre Dame from SacrĂ©-Coeur we will make a quick stop in front of the Louvre—one of the oldest, largest galleries on the planet—just to get some background history.

The Louvre Museum in Paris

The Louvre’s Mission: To conserve, protect, restore and develop France’s national treasures

Number of Visitors: Six million per year, 64% foreign

Staff: 2,000 (half are security)

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The Louvre Timeline – From Fortress to Museum

1190: The Louvre—a fortress—is built on the western edge of Paris (the largest city in Europe at the time).

1527: François I moves in making it a palace.

1672: The court moves out (to Versailles).

1692: The Académie Royale de Painture et de Sculpture moves into the abandoned palace.

1699: The first exhibition of art is held in the Grande Galerie.

1793: The revolutionaries create a public museum in the Louvre displaying art (gathered from the royal family and aristocrats who fled).

1798: The museum gains acquisitions through Napoleon’s conquests and is later renamed MusĂ©e NapolĂ©on.

1815: Napoleon is defeated, conquered nations take back their art, the museum is temporarily disbanded.

1939: As World War II threatens, all but the heaviest items are packed up and hidden in the countryside.

1989: I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid is unveiled.

2015: A branch of the Louvre, designed by Jean Nouvel, is scheduled to open on Saadiyat Island (Island of Happiness) in Abu Dhabi.

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More articles in this series:

The Monuments of Paris — L’Arc de Triomphe
The Monuments of Paris — L’Avenue des Champs-ElysĂ©es
The Monuments of Paris — L’ObĂ©lisque de Luxor
The Monuments of Paris — La Madeleine
The Monuments of Paris — L’OpĂ©ra
The Monuments of Paris — Le Moulin Rouge
The Monuments of Paris — Le SacrĂ©-Coeur
The Monuments of Paris — Le Louvre
The Monuments of Paris — Notre Dame
The Monuments of Paris — La Tour Eiffel
The Monuments of Paris — Pùre Lachaise Cemetery

Christopher Measom

Christopher Measom combines his love of history, art and travel to create books like "Paris: Wish You Were Here" and "The Little Big Book of Ireland". He spends most of his time in New York (an artsy historic place) working on all kinds of books for Night & Day Design.

More Articles from Christopher Measom

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