Louvre, Paris

One of the largest museums in the world, and possibly the most famous of them all is the Louvre, Paris. Situated in the 1st arrondissement, at the heart of Paris, France, this palace is both from an architectural point of view as from an arts (see Paris Art page) perspective one of the must see sights in the City of France. It displays about 300,000 works, among them some world-famous like the Mona Lisa from Leonardo da Vinci, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory.

Information desk
Open every day except Tuesdays, from 9am to 6.45pm (9.45pm on Mondays and Wednesdays).
Tel.: (33) 01 40 20 53 17

Disabled Visitors
Tel.: (33) 01 40 20 53 17
handicap@louvre.fr

Internet
www.louvre.fr

Postal address
Musée du Louvre
75058 Paris Cedex 01

Tel.: (33) 01 40 20 50 50
Fax: (33) 01 40 20 54 42
E-mail :  info@louvre.fr

Access

Via the pyramid
From 9am to 10pm, except on Tuesdays, main entrance.
The disabled and those accompanying them, the visitors with children in pushchairs and pregnant women, have priority access.

Via the passage Richelieu
From 9am to 6pm, except on Tuesdays, between the rue de Rivoli and the courtyard of the pyramid (Cour Napoléon): access only for groups, visitors with tickets, “Amis du Louvre”, “Louvre jeunes” card holders and other persons enjoying free access, on presentation of their card.

Via the shopping area Carrousel du Louvre
From 9am to 10pm, except on Tuesdays, access through 99, rue de Rivoli or the Carrousel gardens.

Via the porte des Lions
From 9am to 5.30pm, except on Tuesdays and Fridays, access through the Carrousel gardens and the quai François Mitterrand.

Paris Metro: Palais-Royal / Musée du Louvre.

Bus: 21, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95.

Paris l’Open Tour
Louvre stop in front of the pyramid.

Batobus
Louvre stop at quai François Mitterrand.

Underground car park:
Accessible by avenue du Général-Lemonnier, daily from 7am to 11pm.
Tel. (33) 01 42 44 16 32.
Fax (33) 01 42 44 16 33.

Brief History

The Louvre, Paris was not in any way originally intended to become a Paris museum. The “salle des antiques” which Henri VI set up on the ground floor of the Grande Galerie was not accessible to the general public, nor was the king’s cabinet of drawings, created in 1671, or the king’s cabinet of paintings, to which access was reserved for a privileged few.

The Palace A medieval fortress, the palace of the kings of France, and a museum for the last two centuries, the architecture of the Louvre Palace bears witness to more than 800 years of history.

Two Centuries as a Museum Established in 1793 by the French Republic, the Louvre Museum, in the company of the Ashmolean Museum (1683), the Dresden Museum (1744) and the Vatican Museum (1784) is one of the earliest European museums.

The library of Charles V – installed in one of the towers of the original fortress of Philippe August – was eventually dispersed. François I began a new collection of art with 12 paintings from Italy. These included works by Titian, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci, the most famous being the Joconde – or Mona Lisa. The royal collection grew and by the reign of Louis XIII, numbered roughly 200 pieces. Henri II, and Catherine de Médicis continued to enlarge the collection, as did others. When Louis XIV died in 1715, there were 2,500 pieces of art and objects. Until the Revolution, this collection was strictly for the private pleasure of the Court. Finally, the idea of a museum (originating with Louis XVI) was realized on 10 August 1793, when the Musée de la République opened to the public. Napoléon greatly increased the collections by exacting tribute from the countries he conquered, but most of these were returned in 1815 after his defeat at Waterloo.

Under Louis XVIII the Venus de Milo was acquired (for 6000F) shortly after it was rediscovered on the Island of Melos in 1820. In 1848 the museum became the property of the State. With an annual budget devoted to acquiring new art, the collections continued to grow. Private donations also augmented the Museum’s holdings. In 1947 the impressionist paintings were moved to the Jeu de Paume and l’Orangerie. (In 1986 these were transferred to the Musée d’Orsay.) Today, the catalogue lists nearly 300,000 works, only a fraction of which are on display at any one time. Le Grand Louvre – begun in 1981 is transforming the museum once again enlarging it substantially. The Richelieu Wing – which had “temporarily” housed part of the Ministry of Finance since the 18th century – was opened in 1993.

The latest addition to the Louvre was the glass pyramid entrance.
On request of the late French President Mitterrand, it was designed by I.M. Pei. The glass pyramid allows the sunlight to come in on the underground floor. It has received mixed reviews, as it contrasts sharply with the design of the buildings it is surrounded by.

They consist of several collections each and are housed in the various wings of the Paris museum : Sully, Denon and Richelieu.

• Oriental Antiquities
  • Richelieu
    • Mesopotamia, Ancient Iran (Ground floor)
    • Islamic Art (Entresol)
    • Thematic Exhibitions (Entresol)
  • Sully
    • Near East (Ground floor)

• Egyptian Antiquities
  • Sully
    • Access (Crypt of the Sphinx) (Entresol)
    • Pharaonic Egypt (Ground and First floors)
    • Christian Egypt (Coptic Art) (Ground floor))

• Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities
  • Denon
    • Greek Antiquities (Ground floor)
    • Etruscan Antiquities (Ground floor)
  • Sully
    • Roman Antiquities (Ground floor)
    • Bronzes and Precious Objects (First floor)
    • Ceramics and Terracotta (First floor)

• Objets d’Art
  • Richelieu
    • Middle Ages, Renaissance (First floor)
    • XIX century: the First Empire (First floor)
    • Napoléon III Apartments (First floor)
    • Documentation Rooms (First floor)
    • Thematic Exhibitions (Entresol)

• • Sully
    • XVII – XVIII centuries (First floor)
    • XIX century: Restoration, July Monarchy (First floor)

• • Denon
    • Galerie d’Apollon (Crown Jewels) (First floor)

• Sculptures
  • Richelieu
    • French Sculptures:
      • Middle Ages, Renaissance (Ground floor)
      • XVII – XIX centuries (Entresol and Ground floors)
    • Thematic Exhibitions (Entresol)

• • Denon
    • Italian Sculptures:
      • XI – XV centuries (Entresol)
      • XVI – XIX centuries (Ground floor)
    • Northern Sculptures:
      • XII – XVI centuries (Entresol)
      • XVII – XIX centuries (Ground floor)

• Paintings
  • Richelieu
    • Paintings, Northern Schools:
      • Holland, Flanders (Second floor)
      • Germany (Second floor)
    • French Paintings: XIV – XVII centuries (Second floor)
  • Sully
    • French Paintings: XVII – XIX centuries (Second floor) (NB recommended access is via Richelieu escalator)
  • Denon
    • French Paintings: XIX century (large paintings) (First floor)
    • Italian Paintings (First floor)
    • Spanish Paintings (First floor)
    • Thematic Exhibitions (Second floor)

• Prints and Drawings
  • Richelieu
    • Northern Schools (Second floor)
  • Sully
    • French School (Second floor)
  • Denon
    • Italian School (opening 1995) (First floor)
    • Temporary Exhibitions (Second floor)
    • Documentation Room (13h – 18h Monday – Friday) (First floor)
    • Reference Room (prior permission required) (First floor)
    • E. de Rothschild Collection (by appointment) (First floor)

Bookshop of Louvre, Paris
Open daily, except Tuesdays, from 9.30am to 7pm (9.45pm, Mondays and Wednesdays).
Tel.: (33)01 40 20 52 06
Fax.: (33)01 40 20 54 45
librairie.louvre@rmn.fr

Restaurants and Cafés of Louvre, Paris

Under the pyramid:

The restaurants and the cafés are closed on Tuesdays.

•  Gastronomic restaurant ” Le Grand Louvre “, from 12am to 3pm, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7pm to 10pm, tel.: (33) 01 40 20 53 41;
•  Café du Louvre from 9am to 7pm and on Mondays and Wednesdays until 9.45pm;
•  Café Napoléon from 10am to 6pm;
•  Cafétéria from 11.30am to 3pm

There are many beautiful Paris Hotels nearby. So if you want to wake up in the morning and enjoy the sight of Louvre, Paris right from your own bed, you can easily book a room overlooking this Paris museum.