Musee du Louvre in France

One of the oldest, well-known and most favorite museums around the world with approximately eight million visitors annually is the Musee du Louvre in France. Its architectural dominance and eye-catching inventive collections have conquered Paris ever since its launch. It first formally opened in the mid 17^th century wherein artists are permitted to flaunt their work of art in this museum. The museum is enormously large, showcasing over 35,000 works straddling over four floors and three wings namely: the Richelieu to the north, Denon to the south and the Sully to the east, which was designed by Claude Perrault in the 17th century as part of an extension plan and the Sully to the east, which was designed by Claude Perrault during the 17th century as part of the expansion plan. An additional of more than 350,000 incalculable works is stored in specially built atmosphere to help preserve their condition. A collection of 11,900 pieces of art is one of the must-sees on display.

The museum holds possession of the most famous works of A Florentine artist, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa dated 1503, the ancient Greek sculpture Venus de Milo, widely renowned for the anonymity of her missing arms from the 2^nd century BC and Dutch Baroque painter, Johannes (or Jan) Vermeer's great work the Lacemaker, painted around 1665. The Louvre also has a steady gallery displaying huge assets of furniture consisting of the French cabinet-maker, Jean Henri Riesener’s Bureau du Roi ('King's desk'). Added incomparable paintings the museum houses are "The Coronation of Napoleon" by Jacques-Louis David's, "Louis XIV" by Hyacinth Rigaud's and "The Virgin on the Rock" by Leonardo da Vinci (this was the painting wherein Leonardo did not paint Halos above the heads of the characters that resulted in Patrons displeasing them.) Other impressive exhibits are on Greek, Etruscan, Roman and Egyptian objet d'art, archeology and sculptures dating back from the Middle Ages. A portion of the museum is dedicated to Islamic art.

Historically, the Louvre was an imperial palace that was constructed on the spot of an old castle. However, with the creation of Chateau de Versailles it became antiquated and was then converted into a public gallery that we see today way back in the 1700's. Originally, it was named Musee Central des Arts, then replaced with the name, Musee Napoleon and finally settled its name of Musee du Louvre. It has undergone transformation during the modern times and among its latest features is the magnificent, gigantic glass pyramid designed by Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei in the late1980s located in the central courtyard that would serve as the museum's main entrance. In spite of protests by Parisians, the pyramid has proven to lodge considerable numbers of visitors, as everyone else adores it. It has been stirring up a lot of attention, as it resembles an immensely cut diamond that traps light during daytime and lights up during nighttime.

There is an entrance fee but usually every first Sunday of the month, the Louvre and other museums in Paris are completely free of charge. It is open from 9 o’ clock in the morning to 6 o’ clock in the evening every other day. On Wednesdays, there is a late night opening until 10 in the evening. The museum is closed every Tuesdays and on national holidays. You need at least a day or more to fully see all the exhibits. So if you are limited with time, grab along a map of the place so you won’t end up missing the most important masterpiece you could ever imagine. Try to arrive early to prevent congestion and to get a clearer view of the paintings like the Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorating the 1830 July Revolution, which ousted Charles X.

The Louvre has turned out to be a relatively beloved landmark of Paris and definitely, something is out there to be of interest to everyone else including your kids. It is also a great way to visualize how kings and emperors live in this place they used to call home. You can also catch a peek at royal extravagance as you visit Napoleon’s apartments in Richelieu wing or fix your eyes on at the crown jewels in the splendidly restored Apollo rooms. And needless to say, the artistic quality displayed in this museum has a wholesome appeal that collides with every spectator’s imagination. So go to see the Musee du Louvre in France and watch Mona Lisa’s eyes guide you along the museum.