Almost everyone’s way to Paris fell on the Louvre Museum. However, even those who visit the museum for hours have things they do not know about the place. The Louvre Museum, which holds the title of “the most visited museum in the world”, is also one of the largest museums in the world. While 38 thousand works are exhibited, 422 thousand are stored in warehouses. The organization, which employs 2 thousand 290 people, has 65 curators, 1200 security guards, 48 firefighters ready for 24-hour intervention. These are just the tip of the iceberg, Travel + Leisure compiled the unknowns:
1- It was built as a palace by the 1st François. Its construction began in the 15th century, but every king who came came had new episodes.
2- While the glass pyramid was being built, archaeologists found the trenches of the 13th century castle built by Philippe Augustus and destroyed. The ruins are still visible today.
3- 14th Louis was the last king who used the Louvre, and after the revolution, the Musée Central des Arts opened to the public in Grande Galerie, but it took 200 years for the entire complex to become a museum. For the first time, the entire building was used as a museum in 1993.
4- Napoleon brought most of the artwork in the Louvre. The kings were art lovers and collectors, but the most precious works of the museum came with Napoleon’s campaigns in Italy and Egypt.
5- American architect I.M. Although the design of Pei, the glass pyramid, is the symbol of the museum today, when it was showcased in 1989, it was highly criticized for not fitting the historical texture.
6- The room, which hosts the world’s most famous painting, Mona Lisa, also has the biggest painting in the museum, Veronese’s Wedding Feast in Cana.
7- There is a tour called Da Vinci Code especially for Da Vinci fans. The tour follows the lead characters of the book (Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu).
8- It is possible to witness how the building looked in the 3rd Napoleon period. Just look at the drawing room of the 3rd Napoleon on the Richelieu wing.
9- Instead of lining up in front of the Louvre, FNAC bookshops can be bought by paying only $ 1.75 more. In addition, with the official $ 1.99 application of the museum, visitors have the chance to make their own tours.
10- Although only the works up to the 19th century are included in the collection of the museum, they are still accepted from the outside.
(photo: Louvre Museum, [email protected])