The Louvre, which is along the banks of the Seine River in Paris, is the world's largest museum and one of the most well-known museums in the world. This magnificent structure, which has housed priceless art in France since 1793, is among Paris' most popular tourist attractions. If your vacation plans will take you to the City of Light, you can't leave the Louvre off your itinerary. Prior to your Paris vacation, learning some facts about the museum helps you to have a thorough understanding of the museum upon arrival.
The Louvre was not originally built to house a museum; in fact, the structure was built some 600 years prior to its conversion into the museum it is today. In 1190, Parisians were concerned about the potential of invasion of their city from the north, as they feared the Vikings would cross the sea from Scandinavia and raid Paris. The Louvre was built as a fortress to protect against these possible raids at the order of King Phillipe-Auguste. The Louvre was reconstructed in the 16th century to serve as a royal palace, and then, in 1793, it became a fine art museum.
Hours of Operation
If you are visiting the Louvre you can come any day of the week -- almost. At time of publication the Louvre is closed entirely on Tuesday and on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and May Day. The museum is open from late morning until early evening on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and on Wednesday and Friday it stays open until late evening. Some rooms close up to a half-hour prior to the posted closing time.
Collection and Museum Sizes
The Louvre's permanent art collection spans a massive space nearly 15 acres. Within the museum, visitors will find 35,000 works of art divided into eight departments: the Near Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Sculptures, Decorative Arts, Paintings and Prints and Drawings.
"Mona Lisa" Debate
While the Louvre has some of the most-famous pieces of art in existence in its permanent collection, none is more famous than the Leonardo da Vinci painting known as "Mona Lisa." But what many people do not know is that the identity of this famous portrait has been debated for many years, according to the Kleio website. The official word from the Louvre, an opinion shared by many art historians, is that the woman in the painting is Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo -- a Florentine silk merchant. Other experts dispute this claim, citing lack of historical evidence; they think Lisa Gherardini was perhaps confused with Lise del Giocondo, who was actually the sister-in-law of Lisa Gherardini. A newer theory suggests the woman in the painting is Pacifica Brandano, the mistress of Giuliano de' Medici who bore a son, who became Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici.
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