If you are an art lover and have an affinity toward understanding the history that created these masterpieces of art then you should have no second thought before you book your tickets for Paris. It has been a place of popular visit since last hundred years and the visit to Paris almost remains incomplete without a tour to Louvre. Louvre also has a unit in Abu Dhabi and it is was established in the year 2017.
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World’s biggest museum:
Louvre is not only world’s biggest museum but it is a museum which attracts around 15000 visitors per day. Some amazing facts about the Louvre are, throughout the year around 70% of foreign tourists visit this museum. 9.3 million People come here every year.
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Once Castle to resist attack:
This art museum located in Paris started its journey in the year 1793. Since then it has been unparallel in drawing art lovers and tourists towards its grandness. In 1190 French King Philip II left for crusades and before leaving he made this into a castle which would serve as a resistance to any outside attack. With time and other urban construct things and scenario changed and the need for such forts decreased.
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Fort of King Francis I:
In 1500 king Francis I built his fort here and he was an art lover himself so eventually a part of it was transformed into a museum in the year 1793. Henry IV had offered artists to stay here and work which helped in its transformation. In the year 2013 the museum closed down because of a common problem called pickpockets. Then security measures were increased and later reopened. Its antiques and artifacts range from around the time of 6th century BC to 19th century. There are around 35000 masterpieces in this museum adding to amazing facts about the Louvre.
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Musee Napoleon (once Louvre was called as such):
The Monalisa was once removed from this museum when Napoleon came into power. In 1805 Napoleon changed its name to Musee Napoleon. There are even three glass pyramids in his name.
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Nazis’ storeroom:
When a huge troop was heading towards France the employees of the Museum decided to remove all the artifacts from there except for the sculptures which were heavy. So when the Nazis came and they opened the museum with intentions of plunder they found it empty and turned it into a storeroom.
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100 days may not be enough:
The Louvre is such a big museum that it is almost humanly impossible to see everything this museum has in one single day. Calculations have been made and it is said that if one can spare 100 days then he/she can have a tour of this giant museum but cannot stand in front of each artifact for more than 30 seconds. In the year 2014 alone this museum entertained around 9.3 million people which mark a record.
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652300 square feet gallery:
The Louvre’s gallery is spread across an area of 652300 square feet which is about 15 acres. There are about 7500 paintings and 66% of them are crafted by French artists.
The galleries are further subdivided into eight departments:
- Near Eastern Antiquities.
- Egyptian Antiquities
- Islamic Art
- Sculptures
- Paintings
- Prints and Drawings
- Decorative arts
- Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities.
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Political posters:
Among other things you didn’t know about the Louvre’s is the fact that it has a masterpiece by Eugene Delacroix which was one used as a political poster. The name of the painting is Liberty leading the people. In the poster it the artist has placed him wearing a top hat and located at the left of the piece.
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Home of mummy:
These smalls bits I am sharing here can well qualify the term “children’s fact”. This museum dates back to 1190 and histories shared by dynasties so it almost seems incomplete if some ghosts do not inhibit or reside this place. There is a mummy called Belphegor and some say that people have seen him at times and sometimes heard him too. Next to this vast giant museum is the Tulleries garden which is also well known for being the home of a man who has always been seen dressed in red.
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Glass pyramid:
There is a glass pyramid which is made by a non French architect called I.M. Pie and now it is one of the greatest land marks of the city. It was built in the year 1989 and has a height of about 21 meters. There was a lot of talk about its height but it a beauty with no parallels. It is composed only of glass and metal. Now comes a lesser known children’s fact that is there are other three such pyramids of smaller size which are placed surrounding the courtyard and are known as Cour Napoleon.
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Louvre in Abu Dhabi:
Another museum is coming up for art lovers and it would be located in Abu Dhabi. The museum would be known as the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Apart from being the first universal museum in the Arab world it is a place of rich culture, heritage embedded with historical facts. As the name suggests it would be somewhat like the Louvre Paris but yes there may be certain technical differences per say.
If one can arrange a pass for the Louvre then the trip starts with a much lucid entry and it becomes a better opportunity to explore amazing facts about the Louvre. Hope your trip to Louvre can be made possible soon.