Le Louvre

At the start of this summer, I had the privilege to visit some of the most famous museums in Paris. For me the most memorable would be Le Louvre. This massive museum is not what it appears to be, unless you think it looks like a palace. If so, this thought is true. Le Louvre was home to some of France’s leaders at one time, however now it holds some of the world’s famous paintings, sculptures, and historical items.

Not only is the Louvre a palace, but it holds a palace in Sully Access. The remains of the Phillippe-Auguste fort, built in 1190, still stand within the walls of the Louvre. Because the Phillippe-Auguste fort was built in the middle ages you are not allowed to go to close or touch the stone, however it is an amazing site to see a thirty or so foot wall from 1190 still standing. The Louvre has even constructed a small model of what they believe the fort looked like in the days before the Louvre.

In the actual Louvre, there are also the remains of Napoleon the III apartments. I did not actually witness all of the rooms because of restoration, but what I did see was amazing. Connecting the starting room to the actual apartments there is a hallway with a grand staircase to the right. There were beautiful red carpets stretching along the corridor. This gave the room the flare of royalty. As well as Henri and Napoleon, there was Louis the XIV. Louis was the last King to live in the Louvre before the Palace at Versailles was built, in which he later moved.

The paintings in the Louvre are something to behold as well. To walk the entire museum and see every painting I was one would need to walk thirty-five miles. I myself did not walk the entire thirty-five, however I did make my way to the Mona Lisa. This painting is probably the most well known throughout the entire museum. Because it is a painting from the renisance and the famous Da Vinci there is no flash photography, and once again, there is an issue of closeness. Moving on down the hall there was The Wedding Feast at Cana by Veronese. This massive painting was astounding to look at. It’s size was enormous and the detail even more so. On the main staircase to the paintings, The Winged Victory of Samothrace stands towering over the onlookers. The Louvre also houses the Venus de Milo.

Not only do the Louvre house paintings and sculptures, but also some artifacts from the orient, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They have their own Mummy. There are halls dedicated to each of these areas. I spent most of my time in Egypt. I walked into an Egyptian tomb and learned about their history. I also saw through diagrams how they made mummies. They even had a section from the book of the dead.
In conclusion the Louvre not only was once a palace, it is now one of the most amazing museums in the world. The Louvre have a history of it’s own, but it also houses history. I recommend everyone to visit at least once in his or her lifetime.