The Louvre

We were nearing the end of a very long day when we arrived at the Louvre. But how could anyone pass up the opportunity to see even a fraction of this incredible museum.

The Louvre Palace was originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century. After Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles as his residence, the Louvre was used mainly to house and display the royal art collections. It remained this way for 100 years. During the French Revolution the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should become a museum to display the nation's masterpieces. On 10 August 1793 the museum opened and today is the worlds largest and most visited museum.

Approaching the Louvre is most impressive. The exterior is as much a part of the experience as the paintings and sculptures inside.

Once inside the Louvre it becomes decision time. There are so many collections and the area is so vast that you just have to pick a place to start and see what you see. We started in one of the sculpture areas and moved into some of the painting collections. What we saw was a minuscule number of the treasures that are housed in this magnificent museum. Once again it was like living inside my art history book. Enjoy!