The Louvre Museum in Paris, also known as the Louvre or the Louvre-Lens, houses the most famous and most visited art museum in the world. It’s home to thousands of famous artworks, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory of Samothrace. Did you know that...? Here are 10 things you didn’t know about the Louvre Museum in Paris.
1) The first building was built in 1190
The first building of what is now known as The Louvre was constructed between 1190 and 1202, during Philip II's reign, who later went on to become King of France. Unfortunately, nothing remains from that original structure, so we can only imagine what it would have looked like. It was destroyed by fire in 1546: In 1546, a large fire broke out in Paris and consumed many buildings, including some parts of The Louvre. It wasn't until after World War I that rebuilding began: After World War, I ended in 1918, rebuilding began at The Louvre in 1920. It took 11 years to complete: Construction finished in 1931 after 11 years of construction—quite a long time for such a big project! A former president oversaw its completion: Former French President Albert Lebrun oversaw the construction and officially opened The Louvre Museum in 1937. Napoleon III started collecting art there: Before Lebrun became president, Napoleon III started collecting art at The Louvre—in fact, he bought more than 100 paintings while he was there!
2) Leonardo da Vinci is responsible for some paintings
The Virgin of The Rocks, The Last Supper, and some others. He is more famous for his inventions: scuba diving equipment, hang gliders, parachutes... to name a few. Some of his paintings are housed in this museum in Paris. Leonardo da Vinci is responsible for some paintings: The Virgin of The Rocks, The Last Supper, and some others. He is more famous for his inventions: scuba diving equipment, hang gliders, parachutes... to name a few.
3) Napoleon Bonaparte opened it as a public museum
The museum was first opened to the public in 1793 when Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul of France, ordered works from private collections to be transferred there. Since then it has been expanded and increased in size. It is now one of Paris's most popular tourist destinations with millions of tourists every year. In 2012, 7.3 million people visited the Louvre, making it both one of Paris' top tourist attractions and an important contributor to its economy. It is also a historic landmark since all future French presidents are required by law to give their inaugural address there (see French presidential inauguration). For example: When François Hollande gave his speech at the museum's courtyard on May 15th, 2012 he became only the second president ever to do so (the first being Valéry Giscard d'Estaing). Hollande used Giscard's words for his speech: We will live together or we will die alone.
4) There are more than 35,000 works of art at the Louvre
The most popular attraction in Paris, and indeed one of Europe’s most-visited attractions, is home to more than 35,000 pieces of art—representing a wide range of periods, cultures, and styles. Artworks from Leonardo da Vinci, Gustave Courbet, and Vincent van Gogh are shown here. But so are many lesser-known works that deserve equal attention.
5) A huge pyramid stands outside...
There is a pyramid outside both The Louvre, in Paris, and at The National Louvre museum. Paris’s pyramid is only visible from within its Musee du Louvre, while New York’s can be seen from nearby streets. (More information about the latter can be found on our sister site.) If you visit Paris, definitely make it a point to check out these pyramids!
6) ...and not all rooms are open to the public
The National Louvre Museum contains over 60,000 artworks, sculptures, and exhibits, including some of the Western Civilization's most iconic pieces of art and artifacts. However, only a select few rooms are open to the public. And no, it's not because museums in Paris don't want to share! These particular rooms require preservation work before they can be seen by museum-goers.
7) It has been robbed several times
In 1801, one of Napoleon’s generals raided it, stealing three hundred paintings. In 1911, an Italian who called himself Vincenzo Perugia stole Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa from its display (and was eventually caught after he tried to sell it in Florence). Most recently in 2012, two men with pistols and a hammer evaded security to steal two paintings by Edouard Manet and Pablo Picasso worth $123 million.
8) Postcards from around 1900 show people taking selfies with her...
The Venus de Milo is believed to be a depiction of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. It is displayed at the Louvre in Paris, France. She was discovered by a peasant on April 8, 1820, on Milos Island near Greece. She has been on display since 1821. Postcards from around 1900 show people taking selfies with her before she had her arms!
9) If you want to see great works of art but don’t have time for an extended visit...
If you want to see great works of art but don’t have time for an extended visit to Paris, visit the National Louvre Museum. The museum is located inside a pyramid-shaped glass structure called the glass cube, and it contains more than 36,000 pieces of art. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about one of Europe's most famous museums.
10) They say Mona Lisa is smiling because she’s hiding here (but isn’t)
Known as La Joconde in French, which translates to the laughing one, Mona Lisa was last stolen from her home in 1914. Yet, she can still be found smiling inside Paris’s Palais du Louvre museum—and yes, in multiple places. The most famous painting of all time is a part of two different artworks: La Gioconda and La Joconde. The first is an oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci that now hangs in France’s Musée du Louvre, while its replica sits behind bulletproof glass at Italy's Uffizi Gallery.
