Louvre - history of construction. A Brief History of the Louvre

The Louvre Museum in Paris is an architectural monument and a rich museum that has no equal in the diversity and completeness of its collections, their artistic and historical value.

Initially, the Louvre was a royal palace (1546-19 centuries, architects P. Lescault, Levo, C. Perrot, etc.; sculptural decoration by J. Goujon, interior design by S. Lebrun, etc.), built on the site of the castle.

Where the name Louvre came from is not entirely clear. The most famous version is that the name is related to the word “Loup” - “Wolf”. It’s as if special dogs for hunting wolves – “Louvriers” – were kept and bred here. Other researchers use the Old Saxon word “Lower” for comparison. In addition, 12th-century texts mention the village of Louvres, located north of the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, so the name was not rare or unusual.

King Philip Augustus, a worthy opponent of the famous English king Richard the Lionheart, was a major fortifier. During his reign, many fortresses were built in France based on the model of the capital. The Paris castle had a square layout, there was a tower at each corner, and a powerful citadel thirty meters high rose in the center. The walls were surrounded by a moat. The citadel served simultaneously as the main fortification of the fortress, an arsenal, a safe where the main valuables of the kingdom were kept, an archive where documents were jealously preserved, and a prison for important prisoners. By the way, both documents and prisoners could be equated to valuables - a considerable price could be obtained for them...

And Philip II himself lived in the royal palace on the island of Cite. The Louvre later became the royal residence. The capital was growing. IN early XIII century, one hundred and twenty thousand people lived in it, there were three hundred streets, the main ones of which were paved.

In the middle of the 14th century, King Charles V ordered to surround Paris with a new fortress wall, and the Louvre completely lost its importance in the city's defense system. The crown bearer himself moved there and transported his famous library. A special library tower appeared. It contained a thousand handwritten books collected by the king, whom his contemporaries nicknamed the Wise. This meeting later became the basis National Library France. Charles V the Wise sought to give a residential and cozy appearance to the gloomy brainchild of Philip Augustus. New wings of the palace were added, and graceful pointed roofs and flagpoles rose above the heavy battle towers.

But desolation settled here again - after the death of Charles V, and for half a century the castle stood abandoned. Kings and court preferred the Parisian palaces of Saint-Paul and Tournelle or cozy castles in the Loire Valley. Tours, the current center of the Indre and Loire departments, could in those years really snatch the palm from Paris and win the fight for the right to become the capital of France

Next important date in the history of the Louvre - 1527. King Francis I, being in a desperate situation, was looking for a way to replenish the empty treasury and found it: he decided to take an indemnity from the Parisians. But to sweeten the pill, the king decided to flatter the vanity of the townspeople. He announced that he saw no other capital for beautiful France and was returning to live in Paris.

Work has begun at the Louvre. The citadel was demolished, as well as the outer fortress wall - a garden was laid out in its place. However, only twenty years later, Francis I gave the order to begin construction of a new palace on the site of the razed fortress. The further history of the Louvre can - if desired - be reduced to which king, which architect added what, what was rebuilt, and what was demolished. Every monarch did this without fail, and at least with this he entered the history of France. The Great French Revolution, for example, really turned out to be a revolution for the Louvre - it was it that turned it into a museum. The Jacobins decided to establish a “Central Museum of Art” here. And during the years of the revolution and the Napoleonic wars, the Louvre collection quickly grew due to requisitions from aristocrats and confiscations during military campaigns abroad... This is how the course of history replenished the museum’s funds! The museum's collections were "good", which could not be said about the quarter adjacent to the Louvre, which became a famous Parisian nest of crime and poverty. “Every person, even if he comes to Paris for a few days, will notice the rickety facades of dozens of houses, the discouraged owners of which are not making any repairs. These buildings remain from the ancient quarter, which is gradually collapsing...” - this is how Balzac described this quarter in the novel "Cousin Betta." A couple of years passed after the book was published - and by order of Emperor Napoleon III, the “junk” was demolished, the quarter was completely destroyed, and in its place a new central courtyard of the Louvre was located - “Napoleon’s Court”. It was this courtyard, free of buildings, that was excavated by archaeologists in the last quarter of the twentieth century, and it turned out that the circle was closed. The “youngest” part of the Louvre ensemble turned out to be just above the oldest - above the foundation of that very “ordinary medieval castle”.

It must be admitted that the indefatigable “builders of the Louvre” did not stop. After excavations, the site of “Napoleon’s Court” was occupied by a very extravagant modern administrative building of the museum, and this is hardly the last extension to the palace.

In 1563, the widow of Henry II, Catherine de Medici, entrusted Philippe Delorme with the construction of a new palace. It began to be called the Tuileries, as it was located on the site of a former tile factory (tuilerie). In 1871, the Tuileries Palace burned down and was never rebuilt. Under Henry IV (reigned 1589-1610) it was drawn up general plan, as a result of which the total area of ​​the Louvre increased 4 times. Between the Louvre and the Tuileries in 1608, a gallery (420 m long) was erected along the banks of the Seine, called the Grand Gallery. It became the basis of the future museum, as it was assumed that royal collections would be housed here.

In the second half of the 17th century. Large-scale work was undertaken in the Louvre to bring the appearance of the palace closer to the architecture of the Baroque era. One of the main creators of this style, L. Bernini, was invited to Paris from Rome for this purpose. However, the project he proposed was considered too pompous. The work was entrusted to French architects. C. Perrault (1613-1688) built the famous eastern colonnade in the classicism style, which was preferred in France. P. Levo (1612-1670) created a number of interiors, incl. the Augustus Hall, designed to house royal collections of ancient statues, weapons, and medals. After a fire in 1661, Levo recreated the Apollo gallery, the decoration and painting of which was carried out by C. Lebrun. Based on his drawings, picturesque panels for lampshades, wall cladding, reliefs, even locks and handles were made - everything, down to the smallest detail.

In 1674, Louis XIV decided to make Versailles his residence. Work at the Louvre was suspended, and many rooms remained unfinished for a long time.

Due to the fact that the Louvre lost its significance as a royal residence, various institutions gradually began to occupy it. Here premises were allocated for artists' workshops and for tenants. The Louvre was home to the furniture maker Boulle, the famous decorator Beren, and the sculptor Giradon, who housed his own collection in the Louvre, which even included an Egyptian mummy.

Every person, even those not connected with art, has heard about the Louvre Museum in Paris, which Parisians themselves often call the Palace of the Muses. It is located in the very center of the historical part of the city on Rivoli Street (La rue de Rivoli). The famous treasury of Paris rivals the most famous attractions in terms of attendance. But the wealth is stored not only inside the Louvre; the history of the museum itself is rich and amazing.

History of the Louvre

Why is the Louvre called this way? A clear answer to this question not yet. There are several theories that are equally valid. The place where the museum complex is now located used to be a suburb of Paris. A guard fortress was located here, so some researchers believe that the name Louvre comes from the Old Saxon “lower”, which means “fortress”. But during her time, dogs of a special breed were bred for hunting wolves - “Louvrier”, which also echoes the name, and “loup” (lu) means “wolf”. The third version is that the name comes from the name of the village of Louvres, which was located near Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.

In any case, the Louvre was not originally intended to be a museum. In the 12th century, it was one of the fortresses that made up the defense system of Paris, which were built on the orders of King Philip Augustus.

In 1307 King Charles V turned the Louvre into his residence. At that time, the castle-fortress was a structure with a square layout with a tower at each corner. In the center was a powerful citadel 30 meters high. It served as a prison, a safe, an archive and the main treasury. Karl also moved his extensive library there, numbering more than 1,000 handwritten books, eventually building a special library tower for them. It was this collection that became the basis for the French National Library.

The Louvre began to take on the appearance of a palace in its usual sense at the beginning of the 16th century, when King Francis I decided to settle there. He hired the architect Pierre Lescot, ordering him to add several buildings, lay out a garden, and remove part of the defensive wall. The famous architect and his assistants actively modernized and expanded the Louvre even after the death of King Francis I, continuing work under other rulers until his death.

In general, each of the monarchs of France, regardless of whether he lived in the Louvre or not, added and changed something in this palace. Gradually the castle filled up big amount exhibits, the main one of which is the famous La Gioconda. It was given to France by Leonardo da Vinci himself as a sign of gratitude for the hospitality the country showed him. Therefore, the Mona Lisa can be considered the ancestor of the collection of masterpieces of the famous museum.

The palace was completely given over to scientists and artists at the end of the 17th century, after King Louis IV moved to Versailles. The Louvre received its first visitors as a museum in 1747.

The most famous exhibits of the museum

The museum complex occupies about 210 thousand sq.m., but only 60,600 sq.m. are given over to exhibitions. It is very difficult to place all the treasures that the Louvre possesses in this square. That's why most of works are stored in storage rooms.

The exhibits are divided thematically into collections, each of which has its own gems.

The Ancient East

The collection is represented by statues, figurines and monuments, the most famous of which are two Shedu statues, representing fantastic bulls with wings from the palace of Sargon II (8th century BC); Sumerian stela of Eannatum (XXV century BC); alabaster figurine of Ibi-ila from Mari (3 thousand years BC).

Ancient Egypt

The department contains many statues, sarcophagi, papyri, jewelry, knives, etc. One of the most famous exhibits in this gallery is the Jebel el-Arak knife made of silicon (3400 BC).

Ancient Greece, Rome, Etruria

The symbols of the ancient Greek collection are the famous statues of the Nike of Samothrace (early 2nd century BC) and Venus de Milo (2nd century BC).

The Etruscan part of the collection is represented by painted terracotta figurines. But the most famous exhibit is the sarcophagus with carved sculptures of a married couple from Cerveteri (6th century BC).

Ancient Rome is represented by mosaics, sculptural portraits, and medals. The highlight is the treasures from Boscoreale - dishes and jewelry made of gold and silver. Boscoreale was a neighbor of Pompeii, and shared its sad fate during the eruption of Vesuvius.

Applied arts

The museum has a rich collection of objects applied arts. Monuments of the Middle Ages occupy a special place in it. For example, the treasuries of the Abbey of Saint-Denis are represented by Italian majolica, church utensils, Limoges enamel, porcelain, bronze, furniture, and that’s not all. A special place in the collection of applied art is occupied by jewelry that once belonged to the French kings.

Sculptures

The rich selection represents masterpieces of the Renaissance and works of French and Italian sculptors, the most famous of which are the figures of slaves by Michelangelo, the marble relief of Donatello's Madonna and Child and the reliefs of the Fountain of Nymphs by Jean Goujon.

Painting

The Louvre within its walls contains a magnificent collection of paintings, which are represented by the works of the most famous masters different eras. It is impossible to list everything, therefore, in addition to “La Gioconda,” several paintings can be especially highlighted: “The Penitent Magdalene” by Georges de Latour, “The Coronation of Napoleon” by Jacques Louis David, “The Bather” by Ingres, “Frescoes of the Villa Lemmi” by Botticelli, “The Assumption of Mary” by Caravaggio, “ The Beautiful Gardener" by Raphael, portraits by Goy and Velazquez. The works of Leonardo da Vinci, who is a symbol of the Louvre itself, stand out separately. In addition to the Mona Lisa, there is a Madonna and Child with Saint Anne and a Madonna in the Grotto.

Ticket prices and map of the Louvre Museum in Russian

The Louvre does not have a main entrance as such. You can get into it either through a glass pyramid or through a huge underground store. At the entrance you will definitely be given a guidebook (you can also download it here Information and plan of the Louvre in Russian). But the building is so huge and intricate that it will take some time to study the entrance diagrams and the layout of the galleries. It is simply impossible to see all the exhibits in one day. It is better to check the possibility of viewing and opening hours of specific galleries on the official website of the museum http://www.louvre.fr

You can explore the Louvre either independently or as part of a guided tour. Admission ticket the Louvre costs 12 euros, a double entry costs 15. Children under 18 years of age enter free of charge, and on the first Sunday of the month entry is free for all visitors. Tours of the museum take place from 18:00 to 20:00 and cost 60 euros per person. For lovers of individual programs, the excursion will cost 250 euros per person. Although they can hardly be called individual, rather excursions are designed for small groups of no more than 8 people.

Location and how to get there

The Louvre is located on Rue Rivoli, and this is the very center of the capital. So you can get here without any problems by bus, metro, taxi or on foot. Bus routes No. 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95 have stops just opposite the entrance to the pyramid. If you take the metro, you should get off at the Louvre Rivoli station on line 1 or the Palais Royal Musee du Louvre station on line 7. If you get to the city center from the airport, the trip by taxi will cost 45-70 euros, by bus 5.7-10 euros, by metro - 9.10 euros.

Louvre overview video

On the right bank of the Seine in the center of Paris rises a magnificent Baroque palace complex, which houses a grandiose collection of masterpieces of art from ancient and Western European civilization. This is the world famous Louvre Museum.

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Before becoming the largest in the world, the palace experienced many tragedies, intrigues, conspiracies and uprisings. IN different time it served as a medieval fortress, royal residence and people's assembly. The formation of the complex is integrally connected with the history of France.

At the end of the 12th century, on the initiative of King Philip II Augustus, a fortress was erected to protect Paris from the invasion of the Normans and English. The structure was a cylindrical tower surrounded by reliable high walls with massive gates. The medieval feudal castle was named Louvre, which translated from Frankish meant “to be on guard.” It housed the treasury, valuable archives and a prison.

Over time, Paris grew. The emergence of new buildings around the fortress contributed to a significant transformation of the Louvre. Finding itself in the center of the city, the castle lost its defensive significance. In the 14th century, monarch Charles V transformed the gloomy citadel into a royal residence. New towers were built, a luxurious garden was laid out, and pompous royal apartments were furnished. Harsh winters, famine, plague, peasant uprisings and wars with England long years brought the residence of the French kings into a pitiful state.

Throughout the 15th century, the Louvre was in disrepair. The monarchs lived far from the capital. Dramatic changes occurred in the 16th century, when Francis I ascended the throne of France and returned the royal residence to Paris. The castle is being completely rebuilt in the Renaissance style. Instead of medieval tower structures and walls, the long construction of a palace begins with new wings, a courtyard, an arcade gallery, expanded state rooms, a covered passage and decorated facades.

The reconstruction of the Louvre was suspended for some time when, in 1682, King Louis XIV decided to move his residence to Versailles (a suburb of Paris). Although the building remained unfinished, the royal apartments housed French painters, sculptors, scientists and traveling merchants. Since 1699, the palace began to hold art exhibitions for the privileged nobility.

After the French Revolution, the Louvre became the cultural heritage of the people. It opened the first Art Museum France. From now on, Parisians can admire the masterpieces of art from the royal collection. The complex became available for public viewing. During the reign of Napoleon I, the Louvre was replenished with new works of art confiscated from the nobility, emigrants and clergy. The emperor's military victories enriched the complex with unique exhibits taken by French troops from conquered countries.

Royal Palace

Over the course of several centuries, the royal palace of the Louvre, which is a symbol of the French state, was repeatedly rebuilt and expanded. Each monarch made his own adjustments to the appearance of the architectural complex. It acquired its modern appearance in 1871. The perimeter is more than 1.5 kilometers.

The architectural ensemble consists of three main buildings. One wing extends along the Seine embankment, the other runs parallel to the Rue de Rivoli. In the center there is a square building with a courtyard. The facades are decorated with luxurious arcades, colonnades with ornate capitals, pilasters, relief images, balustrades, semicircular and triangular pediments and numerous sculptural sculptures.

Creating a Collection

King Francis I laid the foundation for the Louvre's first art collection. Having visited Italy, the monarch was fascinated by the splendor of the cultural achievements of the Renaissance. He brought to France many paintings and sculptures that convey the idea of ​​man's eternal striving for perfection. In 1517, Francis I invited the famous artist Leonardo Da Vinci to France.

The king gave the master a warm welcome and appointed him chief court painter. After the death of the brilliant Leonardo, 19 of his paintings remained in the Louvre, among which the most famous painting was the portrait of the Mona Lisa. The royal collection was constantly replenished with artistic masterpieces glorifying the power of the monarchy. The great ministers of France from different eras were especially zealous connoisseurs of works of art: Richelieu, Mazarin and Colbert.

They did not skimp on paintings from all over the world. Since the 19th century, archaeologists actively working in Egypt and the Middle East have contributed to the formation of the Louvre collection. Unique ancient artifacts, manuscripts and ancient statues were brought.

Louvre today

The internal area of ​​the museum is 60,000 square meters. Every year, the attraction of the French capital is visited by more than 8 million tourists. The museum's collection is represented by 370,000 exhibits, dispersed in the buildings of the palace complex. Today, the Louvre is one of the largest museums in the world. The palace has a rich collection of works of art from ancient times to the mid-19th century. The Louvre is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The abduction of Gioconda

In 1911, one of the museum’s old employees freely made his way into the pavilion with works of art and stole Leonardo Da Vinci’s “La Gioconda.” Only a day later the disappearance of the canvas was discovered. For several years, the police could not find the portrait, which had been in the robber’s modest apartment all this time.

An incredible scandal broke out because of the incident, after which the painting by the Italian master became the most famous and mysterious masterpiece in the history of art. It became obvious that the museum was experiencing difficulties in ensuring the safety of storage of the collection. The Louvre needed internal reforms in this area. Instead of the position of museum director, a commissioner was appointed, who increased the number of security guards and introduced strict rules for visiting the Louvre. All exhibition halls were refurbished, an elevator was installed and electricity was installed.

Why was the pyramid needed?

The glass pyramid of the Louvre serves as the main entrance. The structure was erected in 1989 by the American architect Bei Yuming, according to a major project for the restoration of the complex. The structure contrasts with the magnificent buildings and gives the architectural ensemble a certain modern charm. The initial task of creating a pyramid with an underground entrance to the museum was to unload the historical entrances, which had great difficulty coping with endless streams of visitors.

Description

It consists of three buildings. They are connected to each other by an underground passage. These are the wings of Richelieu, Denon and Sully. In the spacious premises of the Louvre you can see numerous objects of art that characterize different historical eras- paintings, sculptures, royal furniture, porcelain, tapestries, household items, jewelry, antique statues and artifacts.

The luxurious interiors of the museum will take your breath away. The halls are decorated with ceiling arches with graceful columns, frescoes and bas-reliefs. Premises where antique exhibits are exhibited Ancient Greece, Egypt, Middle East are located on the first floors. Fine and applied arts occupy the second and third floors.

Exposition

The pavilions of the Louvre present collections of the most valuable exhibits that embody the cultural heritage of different eras and peoples. The exhibition is divided into thematic zones. These are Egyptian and Middle Eastern antiques, Greek and Roman sculptures, artifacts of French kings, paintings by great artists from all over the world. Deserves attention Big hall with an arched ceiling, where Greek sculptures stand among slender columns. Antique sculptures express the beauty of the human body.

An important place in the Louvre exhibition is occupied by an armless marble statue of the Venus de Milo. This is the only original in the world ancient greek goddess love and beauty with a completely preserved head. Crowds of tourists flock to see the museum's priceless masterpiece.

The Louvre's most popular exhibition space is art Gallery. Its walls are decorated with paintings by Italian painters - Raphael Santi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Caravaggio, Leonardo Da Vinci and many others. The museum has more than 6,000 paintings. Collection visual arts is amazing. Visitors are presented with works by artists of the Renaissance, classicism, impressionism and modernism.

Bright showroom The Louvre is called the Apollo Gallery. The ceiling is decorated with magnificent frescoes depicting scenes Greek mythology. The paintings are enclosed in gilded frames, decorated with ornate stucco. This room also houses a collection of jewelry from French kings.

The most famous paintings

Louvre (Paris) - detailed information about the museum with photos. Opening hours of the Louvre, plans (schemes) and collections of the museum, where to buy tickets, official website.

Louvre Museum in Paris

The Louvre is an art museum in Paris, one of the most famous and big museums world, which is visited annually by about 10 million people.

The original building of the Louvre Palace was a defensive fortress in the lower reaches of the Seine, which later turned into one of the main royal residences.

The Louvre was founded in 1793. The museum is 73,000 sq. meters of works of art from the Middle Ages to the mid-19th century, as well as ancient times. It houses about 35,000 artifacts, some of which are 7,000 years old.

In close proximity to the Louvre is the Tuileries Garden, one of the largest and oldest parks in the center of Paris. A wonderful example of landscape art and a museum of sculptures under open air, and also a great place for rest and relaxation in the heart of a big city.

Departments of the Louvre

The Louvre is divided into 8 departments:

• Department Egyptian antiquities
• Department of Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities
• Department oriental antiquities
• Department of Art of Islamic Countries
• Painting department
• Sculpture Department
• Graphics department
• Art Department

Collections

1. Art of the Ancient Near East (7500 BC - 500 AD)- exhibits found during archaeological excavations, distributed geographically (the territory of modern Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, etc.). The collection includes elements of decoration of palaces and temples, statues, tablets with inscriptions and luxury items and introduces one of the first centers of great civilizations. Level 0 - Richelieu wing and Sully wing
2. Art Ancient Egypt(4000 - 30 BC)- sculptural and paintings, fragments of temples and tombs, ritual and everyday objects from the Nile Valley - from Egypt to Sudan - are presented as part of a thematic exhibition (level 0), as well as within a chronological exhibition from the end of prehistory to the establishment of Roman rule (level 1). Levels 0 and 1 - Sully wing
3. Art of Ancient Greece(6500 - 30 BC) - the exhibition, located on levels -1 and 0, is built on a chronological basis and reflects the development of ancient Greek art from the end of the prehistoric period until the establishment of Roman rule. At level 1 it is presented material culture Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome(objects made of bronze, gold and silver, ceramics, glass). Levels -1, 0 and 1 - Denon wing and Sully wing
4. Art of Ancient Rome (100 BC - 500 AD)- on level 0, around the courtyard of the French queen Anne of Austria (1615-1643), the collection is presented in chronological order from the end of the Roman Republic to the fall of the Roman Empire. Level 1 presents the material culture of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Levels 0 and 1 - Denon wing and Sully wing
5. Art of Ancient Italy and Etruria (900 - 200 BC)- sculptures, vases, sarcophagi, weapons, jewelry, interior furnishings - usually found in tombs - give an idea of ​​the civilizations that preceded the Romans in the territory of modern Italy in the first millennium BC. Level 0 - Denon wing
6. Art of the Middle East and Egypt(30 BC - 1800 AD) - mosaics, reproductions of church interiors, painted portraits, pottery and luxury objects provide an insight into the art of the Eastern Mediterranean, from Roman to Muslim times conquests This series continues the art of the Christian communities of Egypt and Sudan during the Middle Ages and New history. Levels -2 and -1 - Denon wing
7. Art of the Islamic World (700-1800)- objects made of ceramics, glass and wood, miniatures, carpets and ceremonial weapons, presented in chronological order from the rise of Islam to the 18th century, reflect the splendor of a civilization that stretched from Spain to India. Levels -2 and -1 - Denon wing
8. Sculpture / France (500-1850)- located around the courtyards of Marly and Puget, which display garden sculptures from the 17th to 19th centuries, the chronological exhibition covers the period from the Middle Ages to the Romantic era and introduces the work of major French sculptors such as Goujon, Coustou, Pigalle, Houdon or Bari. Levels -1 and 0 - Richelieu wing
9. Sculpture / Europe (500-1850)- European sculpture is presented geographically: chronological exhibitions on two levels are dedicated to Italy and Northern Europe, where you can see the creations of Donatello, Michelangelo, Canova and others. separate room samples of Spanish sculpture are located. Levels -1 and 0 - Denon wing
10. Painting / France (1350-1850)- the world's most complete collection French painting presented in chronological order and includes paintings by such masters as Poussin, Georges de la Tour, Watteau, Fragonard, Ingres, Corot and others. Monumental paintings of the 19th century. (David, Delacroix) are exhibited on level 1 in the Denon wing. Level 2 - Richelieu wing and Sully wing / level 1 - Denon wing
11. Painting/Northern Europe (1350-1850)- painting Northern Europe presented in chronological order, as well as in accordance with the geographical centers of culture: Flanders, Germany, the Netherlands, etc. Visitors will be able to see masterpieces by Van Eyck, Bruegel, Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. Level 2 - Richelieu wing
12. Painting / Italy (1250-1800)- meeting Italian painting, one of the richest in the world, is exhibited in the Square Hall, in the Great Gallery and in the adjacent halls. The paintings are presented in chronological order and in accordance with the geographical centers of culture. Among them are masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and others. Level 1 - Denon wing
13. Painting / Spain (1400-1850)- the exhibition is located in small rooms around central hall with monumental canvases. The collection is presented in chronological order from the 15th to the 19th centuries. and includes works by such famous painters as El Greco, Zurbaran, Ribera, Murillo, Goya. Level 1 - Denon wing
14. Painting / Great Britain / United States (1550-1850)- The Louvre's collection of British and American painting consists mainly of portraits and landscapes. Artists represented include Gainsborough, West, Raeburn, Lawrence, Turner and Constable. Level 1 - Denon wing
15. Decorative Arts / Europe (500-1850)- presented chronologically from the Middle Ages to the mid-19th century. collection of luxury goods ( Jewelry, weapons, tapestries, glassware, ceramics, artistic enamel, gold, silver and bronze items, gems and treasures of the French crown, interior furnishings), as well as recreated interiors reflect high level applied art, which developed, in particular, thanks to royal orders. Level 1 - Richelieu wing, Sully wing, Denon wing
16. Drawings, engravings, prints / Europe (1350-1850)- this richest collection in the world is exhibited in parts, one by one, due to the sensitivity of the exhibits to light. At temporary exhibitions you can see drawings, engravings, prints, pastels, watercolors, as well as manuscripts of the greatest European artists. Level -1 - Sully wing (Rotunda Sully)
17. Art of the peoples of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas (700 BC - 1900 AD)- the collection, which includes about a hundred masterpieces from the collection of the Quai Branly Museum, is presented geographically. In this section you can see outstanding works a number of extra-European civilizations of pre-Columbian America, Africa, South-East Asia, Oceania. Level 0 - Denon wing

Pavilion of Clocks: introduction to the Louvre- precedes the inspection of the collections and introduces the history of the palace and museum collection. Around the ruins of a medieval castle, the process of gradual transformation of the palace into a museum is presented. Next, at level 1, selected works allow you to appreciate the diversity of collections. Level 2 is dedicated to modern life museum. This introductory route was named after His Royal Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the United United Arab Emirates, as a token of gratitude for the invaluable support provided to the museum by the United Arab Emirates.

Small Gallery- here you can learn to understand better works of art and gain knowledge in the field of art history and various
artistic techniques. Offered every year new topic, which becomes the starting point for getting acquainted with the museum’s collection.

Louvre plans

Plan of the Louvre in Russian - download in PDF

Visiting rules

1. Keep silence.
2. Eating and drinking alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
3. Flash photography is prohibited. Some exposures are prohibited from being photographed at all.

Official site

Louvre opening hours

The Louvre Museum is open daily, except Tuesdays, from 9.00 to 18.00. The halls close at 17.30. Please note, the museum is closed on May 1 and December 25.

On Wednesday and Friday the museum is open until 21.45

Ticket prices and where to buy them?

The cost of a ticket to the Louvre is 15 euros. On Wednesday and Friday after 18.00, young people (under 26 years old) can enter the museum for free. To do this, you only need an ID card.

The Louvre is located in the capital of France, Paris. Official address: Palais Royal, Musée du Louvre, 75001 Paris, France. One side of the Louvre is located on the Rue de Rivoli, and the other faces the great river of France - the Seine.

David Stanley / flickr.com Frank Reyes / flickr.com Mauricio Lima / flickr.com alex hanoko / flickr.com Andrés Nieto Porras / flickr.com photophilde / flickr.com Artotem / flickr.com Yaacob HASAN / flickr.com Inverted Pyramid - view from the inside (Erik Drost / flickr.com) Paris Sunset from the window of the Louvre (Dimitry B. / flickr.com)

There are monuments that have preserved their original appearance to this day. But there are architectural masterpieces that have been externally transformed and changed their purpose. Such gifts of antiquity include the Louvre.

Its changes began from the warlike status of a medieval fortress to an elegant royal palace. And for two centuries now, the Louvre has the status famous museum in the world.

Location of the Louvre

The fame of this museum is so great that a citizen of any state, having at least a secondary education, is aware of its existence. But not everyone knows what exactly is presented in the museum, what it looks like, what is located next to it and where it is located. Let us describe the specific address of the Louvre.

Square in front of the Louvre (Artotem / flickr.com)

The Louvre is located in the capital of France, Paris. And, like all buildings in the city, it has its own official address: Palais Royal, Musée du Louvre, 75001 Paris, France. The first two words translated mean “Royal Palace”. The last digit of the index is the number of the district - the first, oldest, district of Paris.

One side of the Louvre is located on the Rue de Rivoli, and the other faces the great river of France - the Seine.

The most nearby station The metro is called Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre.

The Louvre can be reached from the metro, but there are more interesting way, along which you must climb up, cross Rue Rivoli, enter one of the arches of the museum, and now you are greeted by Napoleon's courtyard with a glass pyramid, which serves as the entrance to the museum.

Pyramids in front of the Louvre - how to get to the museum?

Having mentioned the glass pyramid of the museum, it is definitely worth talking about it in a little more detail. The pyramid appeared at the end of the 20th century. Its history is connected with the name of the talented architect Yong Ming Pei.

Inverted Pyramid - Inside View (Erik Drost / flickr.com)

The start of construction was accompanied by the opinion that the new construction in every respect could spoil the aristocratic atmosphere of the Louvre. But contrary to many fears, the pyramid further emphasized the beauty of the museum. In addition, it solved the main practical problem - it relieved the increasing flow of people wishing to visit the Louvre every year.

The pyramid is located in courtyard museum complex and is a structure made of glass and metal. Special lighting allows you to see its lobby. The impressively sized hall located under the pyramid is an informational museum center, from here you can take the escalator without queues to all the galleries of the Louvre or go down to its internal halls.

Next to the museum complex, on the right bank of the Great French River, is the Tuileries Garden. The green quarters of the garden spread out their charming alleys between the Louvre and the Champs Elysees.

The Tuileries Garden has the status of the oldest city park in the French capital. Citizens and tourists love to relax here with their entire families, introducing the younger generation to the sights of the park. And this acquaintance will long leave in the memory the past and present wealth of the French Republic.