Louvre museum highlights and history

The Louvre, largest museum in the world, has a long and complex history that begins much earlier than the buildings of the 16th century would suggest. The tour proposes to reconsider the different stages of construction of the Kings of France’s main castle in Paris by presenting the most fundamental pieces, famous or less known, which are exhibited in different parts of the museum.
The visit will also go through the grand historical rooms, such as the Henri II salons, the private apartments of Napoleon III or Louis XIV’s bedroom.

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Description

Louvre museum highlights and history

Practical information

  • Location : To be confirmed
  • Duration : 3 hours
  • Walking tour
  • Individuals: Min. 2, max 6 . 60€-100€ pp + 22€ entrance ticket pp
  • Private tour at any date (270€) prviding entrance tickets are available (22€ pp)

The visit will first show the foundations of the early medieval castle, a fortress built for the defense of Paris in the 12th century.
Totally disappeared for centuries, these remains were rediscovered during the works of the 1980’s aiming to modernize the Louvre as well as to increase its collections and capacities of reception.
After visiting the only medieval room remaining in the museum, we will go upstairs by the prestigious Henri II staircase and arrive in the collections spaces installed in the superb room of the Cariatides.
We will discover several Greek and Roman sculptures, including world famous masterpieces such as the Venus of Milo or the Gladiator. A little further, other great sculptures of the 16th and 17th will be presented.
Arrived in the rooms of the French paintings, the most famous 19th century ones will leave way to Italian masterpieces including Mona Lisa or the Wedding of Cana by Veronese.
The Grande Galerie, adjacent, will allow to admire other paintings of Italian masters including little known Caravaggio, Mantegna, Leonardo da Vinci or Botticelli.
After the victory of Samothrace, situated for a century and a half ago at the top of the staircase, the tour will arrive at the gallery of Apollo where the treasures of Louis XIV are exhibited as well as jewels of the crown. Shortly afterwards, the historical rooms of the Renaissance house other objects of the ancient period but also modern creations.
At the end of the wing are the rooms devoted to the French art of living in the 17th and 18th century, in which are displayed personal objects of Queen Marie Antoinette.
Later, we will discover historical, rare and precious objects used for centuries by the Kings of France.
We will then arrive at the superb Napoleon III rooms where the Emperor and his family lived. Some furniture and attributes of the coronation of the First Empire will also be presented.
At the end of the tour, we’ll go down modern escalators leading through the rooms reserved for the Middle East collections, where unique pieces are on display.

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