This former royal palace, which celebrated its bicentenary in 1993, is
today one of the largest museums in the world.
The Palace
Excavations carried out in 1977 under the Cour Carree, the courtyard surrounded
by the oldest part of the palace, led to the discovery of the original
castle built around 1200 by King Philippe-Auguste, which remained a fortress
until it was replaced by a Renaissance palace. The tour of the foundations
of this medieval Louvre, including the base of the keep, the moat and the
outer wall, starts from the main entrance hall under the glass pyramid.
The first palace, built by Pierre Lescot in the style of the Italian Renaissance,
was enlarged round the Cour Carree and along the Seine during the following
200 years.
It is said that Moliere performed in front of the court in the splendid Salle
des Cariatides where Greek and Roman antiquities are now displayed. Louis XIV
enclosed the Cour Carree with the stately colonnade opposite the Church of
St-Germain-I'Auxerrois. Soon afterwards, however, the king left for Versailles
and the palace was neglected by the royal family and the court. Building was
resumed by Napoleon, who built part of the north wing and erected the exquisite
Arc de Trromphe du Carrousel. During the second half of the 19th century, Napoleon
III completed the Louvre along its rue de Rivoli side.
The Museum
The museum was founded in 1793 to house the royal art collections, which were
subsequently enriched to the point that a large part of its vast stock could
not be displayed. This prompted President Mitterrand to launch a complete renovation
of the buildings and to extend the museum over the whole of the Louvre; the
project became known as the 'Grand Louvre'. A huge entrance hall was created
under a stunning glass pyramid, designed by Leoh Ming Pei placed in the centre
of the Cour Napoleon. This gives access to three main areas.
|
