The Louvre has a glorious history spanning over 800 years, and no, it didn’t start out as “the place where the Mona Lisa is” (hidden behind dozens of tourists). This impressive palace has a fascinating history that dates back to the Middle Ages, and from the 16th century onwards, there was hardly a French king or emperor who didn’t add to it.
Therefore, if you are planning to visit the Louvre and are interested in getting to know the “jug” and not just what is in it, you are welcome to read the following article. Before we begin, I highly recommend watching this short but important video, which shows the stages of construction of the Louvre.
The Louvre of the Middle Ages
The Louvre's name probably comes from the Latin word Lupera (wolf), after the wolves that used to roam the northwestern bank of the Seine. It began its career as a fortress built by King Philip Augustus in this area in 1190, on the eve of his departure for the Third Crusade. He had good reason: the King of England, Richard the Lionheart, ruled over territories not far from Paris and there was a danger that he would take advantage of the king's absence to invade the capital of FranceTherefore, opposite the Louvre, on the left bank, the Tour de Nelse was built, where we find it today. The Academy Building and the Bridge of Arts (Pont des Arts), and together the two towers were supposed to protect Paris from the west.
Charles V decided to transform the Louvre from a mere fortress into a palace worthy of a king's residence and decided to make it more comfortable and pleasant to live in and also to move the royal library there. Although this part of the Louvre has disappeared from the surface, if you go down to the underground area, you can see parts of that medieval palace.
The kings who built the Louvre
The medieval Louvre Palace stood until the 16th century, when King Francis I decided to demolish the old structure and build himself a Renaissance-style palace. The main reason for this was that the medieval palace reminded him of the palace where he was imprisoned in Spain following his capture at the Battle of Pavia (you can read more about the king's romantic adventures while in captivity in the article Love is contagious) With this, François I began a tradition that would continue until the days of Napoleon III (1-3), in which quite a few rulers added wings to the Louvre.
Here is a list of the French kings who built the Louvre we know:
Francis I (1-1515)
He demolished the medieval palace, much to the dismay of the people of Paris, and built the Renaissance palace of the Louvre. This palace is located on the eastern side of the complex and its location can be seen in the video above. In addition to being the first in a series of kings who built the new Louvre, it is impossible to mention François I without mentioning the Mona Lisa, perhaps the most famous painting in the world, which came to the Louvre thanks to him.
Henry II (2-1547)
He continued work on the southwestern parts of the Cour Carrée but did not have time to build much because he was killed in a knightly battle where it stands today. Place de Vosges.
Catherine de Medici (1519-1589)
Catherine de Medici, widow of King Henry II of France, was the de facto ruler of France during the reigns of Francis II (2–2), Charles IX (1559–1560), and Henry III (9–1560). It was she who ordered Philibert de Lorme to build the Tuileries Palace on the western border of the Louvre and Tuileries Gardens The famous.
Henry II (4-1589)
When Henry IV finally managed to enter Paris in 4, he found a ruined city and an abandoned palace. He decided to return Paris to its glory days and one of his first steps was to build the southern gallery of the Louvre Palace. The gallery's purpose was to connect the Louvre Palace in the east with the Tuileries Palace in the west and it was one of the most ambitious architectural projects of the period. It is no wonder that this wing was a major headache for the Minister of Finance, Sully, who had to squeeze the kingdom's coffers to the limit in order to build this magnificent wing (this did not prevent him from buying the Hotel de Soleil The magnificent one returnedMarais).
One of the “side effects” of the construction of the southern gallery was the construction of theVon NefAlthough the bridge was designed before the reign of Henry IV, it was designed at that time as a bridge that would house houses (like all the bridges in Paris of that period). Since Henry IV wanted the Parisians to be able to see the gallery he was building, he decided that no houses would be built on this bridge that would obscure the view, a revolutionary decision for its time. We can still see the result today.
Louis XI (13-1610)
Responsible for the construction of the wing that would later be named after Viviane Danon (which I will talk about a little later). He was also responsible for the construction of the Richelieu wing, named after his prime minister, where the French Ministry of Finance would in the future reside (which would later move to Bercy).
Louis XI (14-1643)
the king Louis XIV He began living in the Louvre in 1652, but he never liked it because of his memories of the Fronde rebellion that took place during his childhood. Nevertheless, he decided to continue the tradition of all the rulers before him by adding something of his own to the Louvre. Although he did not build a new wing, he greatly expanded the square courtyard in the eastern part of the Louvre and added a gate and columns designed by Claude Perrault, brother of the famous parable writer Charles Perrault. If you look closely, you will see a portrait of Louis XIVSo, it's not him but... Napoleon! How did Napoleon become Louis XIV, you ask? To solve this riddle, you'll have to read the article. A hiking trail on the Right Bank following Napoleon Bonaparte.
The king was not satisfied with construction, but established the Academy of Fine Arts in the southern wing of the Louvre, where dozens of painters and sculptors worked on various works for the king. The Academy of Fine Arts gave its name to the bridge south of the Louvre, the “Bridge of Arts,” which until recently was also called the “Bridge of Locks,” after the tasteless custom of couples attaching padlocks to its sides, who saw this empty gesture as a romantic act. Thus, during the reign of Louis XIV, the number of paintings in the Louvre increased from 14 to 200 not only thanks to the Academy he created, but also thanks to the purchasing expeditions of Cardinal Mazarin, who was Prime Minister of France until his death in 2,000.
In 1682, Louis XIV left the Louvre in favor of Palace of Versailles, and the Louvre began to slowly empty of its inhabitants. The nobles were replaced by artists who turned the Louvre into a huge studio. Louis XV and Louis XVI decide to stay in Versailles, and as a result, work on the expansion of the Louvre Palace stops. The Louvre and the Tuileries Palace slowly lose their importance, but not for long, because their fate is about to change drastically.
Between a museum and a government center
With outbreak French Revolution In 1789, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were forced to leave Versailles and move to the Tuileries Palace. The palace became a golden cage for them, and in 16 they tried to escape but were captured in the town of Varenne and returned to Paris. In 1791, a terrible massacre of the king's Swiss bodyguards took place in the Tuileries Palace, and as a result, the king and his family left the Tuileries Palace and were imprisoned in the Temple Fortress in the Marais. However, the Tuileries Palace did not remain their home for long, and when Napoleon I came to power, he decided to turn it into a government center. From then until his final fall in 1792, he would continue to reside in this palace. If you would like to see what the Louvre looked like shortly before Napoleon I came to power, you are welcome to watch a short video I created:
And what happens to the Louvre itself, you ask? After the Louvre had served as an artistic center for more than a century, Napoleon decides to turn it into a museum open to the public. For this purpose, Napoleon summons Baron Vivant Denon and assigns him the task of turning the Louvre Palace into a museum. Vivant immediately begins collecting works of art and presenting them to the public, and he has a lot of work to do, since Napoleon looted quite a few first-class European works of art during his wars. At the same time as turning the Louvre into a museum, Napoleon decides to begin construction of the northern wing that will eventually connect the Tuileries Palace to the square courtyard to the east. Finally, it is impossible to mention the Louvre and Napoleon without mentioning the Arc de Triomphe of the Carrousel, which he built between 1806-1808, which you can read about in the article How the carousel turns.
Even after the fall of Napoleon, the Tuileries Palace continued to be a center of government and as a result, the 1st arrondissement slowly became the most important district of 19th-century Paris. This is also why you will find some super luxurious hotels such as Le Meurice Not far from the Louvre (and if you've already arrived, don't miss its afternoon tea). The peak comes during the reign of Napoleon III, when the Tuileries Palace is expanded and the emperor finishes the northern wing of the Louvre and finally connects the Tuileries Palace with the eastern part of the Louvre.
However, the celebration did not last long. In 1870, war broke out between France and Prussia, and as a result of defeat on the battlefield, Napoleon III was forced to abdicate his throne. The Empire was replaced by a young republic (the Third Republic), but shortly afterwards, in March 3, Paris revolted and for a period of about two months the Paris Commune ruled it. The Third Republic succeeded in suppressing the Commune in May 3, but during the fighting, the Commune's supporters decided to burn down the main buildings of Paris, including the Tuileries Palace (you can read more about this in the articleThat Paris almost burned down).
After several years in which the ruins of the Tuileries Palace stood, the city council decided not to rebuild the palace but to clear the ruins, which created a beautiful perspective fromArc de Triomphe From the Carousel to Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Champs-Elysées. From this moment on, the Louvre took on its final form. Well, not exactly...
Between a pyramid and an underground mall
Throughout the 20th century, the Louvre continued to function as one of the most important museums in Europe, and when the Mona Lisa was stolen from it in 1911, it was a scandal that was followed around the world. However, during the 60s, the museum became outdated and even lost its primacy to the Pompidou Center, which was established in 1976. It was clear that if the Louvre wanted to return to being the most important museum in Paris, it would have to undergo a significant facelift.
The person responsible for that “facelift” is President François Mitterrand, who, as part of “The Great Works” (Les Grands Traveaux), ordered the renovation of the Louvre and the removal of the Ministry of Finance from it. The goal was to provide a more convenient entrance to the museum and also to make room for many works of art that had previously been housed in its basements. The new entrance was decided to be covered by a pyramid created by architect Ieoh Ming Pei, which became the symbol of the Louvre. At the same time, a huge shopping mall was built under the Louvre, where you can not only buy quite a few things that you don’t really need, but also look at the remains of the medieval sea fortress (and visit the most luxurious bathrooms in Paris, which you can read about in the article The Secret Services).
Indeed, the renovation and upgrade of the Louvre succeeded beyond expectations. From an outdated museum, the Louvre has transformed into a modern museum, visited by more than 9 million tourists each year (first place among all museums in Paris).
Interested in visiting the Louvre?
If this article has made you want to visit the Louvre, whether to view the works of art that are within its walls or to see the rooms where part of France's history took place, then you are invited to enter the article. The Louvre Museum in Paris – The Complete Traveler's Guide.
You'll find information there about opening hours, tickets, which works you shouldn't miss, and even a discussion about whether it's even worth visiting the Louvre. In short, everything you need for a perfect visit :).
