The Louvre

So I mentioned before that the Louvre deserves its own post, so here goes. When we were on our walking tour I had noticed all of the massive old buildings that were lining one side of the river. I did not, however, realize that the majority of what I was looking at was actually the same building. We came to the outside of the museum and I still wasn't aware of its size; we then walked into a courtyard and it became a bit more apparent that this was no ordinary structure. However, after walking through this courtyard and coming to the main plaza of the Louvre, my breathe was absolutely taken away. I could not comprehend the sheer size of the building and am still in awe by not only the massiveness but also the incredible detail that permeates every facet of the former palace. I did a quick comparison (thank you Google Earth) to show just how large it is - in the picture below, I overlaid a satellite image of Invesco Stadium on the main plaza, which will hopefully give some perspective on size.

The primary entrance (the highly disputed glass pyramid) was packed when we arrived, but luckily we had heard of another place, called the Lion's Entrance, which fewer people know of.

It was great going to that door, because there was literally no line and we were able to get into the museum in a matter of minutes. After checking our bags we began to wander and immediately realized why a map is essential. Within minutes we had already become lost (immersed, yes, but still impressively lost) in an overwhelming selection of art.

The museum itself is a masterful work of art. Over the centuries the various kings and queens have built new rooms, wings, and gardens, which today comes together to in an incredibly ornate and surprisingly cohesive way. On every ceiling there are very detailed murals, and where any of the archways meet there can usually be found some interesting sculpture. I had never been in such a museum before - priceless pieces line the walls of massive, soaring hallways, which I can not possibly imagine actually once being a residence. A short picture series may be the best description.

Looking ahead:

Looking up:

Looking out:

And looking at:

After a bit of trekking, we finally found one of the Louvre's most famous residents, the Mona Lisa herself. It's pretty surreal to see something which has been so well known to so many people in so many places across the globe. I had heard so many people say how disappointing the piece was; however, I was incredibly pleased to find it was everything I had hope for. Small, yes. Detailed, yes. Surreal, absolutely.

I really could not take my eyes off this and so many other pieces, and even after hours of wandering we still had seen only a small portion of the treasures the Louvre contains. Currently, there are over 35,000 pieces on display, with an even greater number being stored and period cycled into exhibits. The Louvre is just so fascinating to me because it has such a rich and interesting history. One of the most surprising things to me was that below the museum lies the foundation of an unfinished castle. It was so strange to walk into the basement and suddenly be standing in a mote staring at the outer wall of what would have been a massive castle!

Oh, and there is obviously plenty of attention given to the museum thanks to Dan Brown. I was assured by plenty of Parisians that everything in those books is false, but it was still really fantastic to see so many of the sights he references. So, one of the Rose Line markers running throughout Paris and to the heart of the Louvre: