The Louvre stands as the largest art museum on Earth and a historic monument in Paris. While millions flock to see the smile of the Mona Lisa, the building itself hides centuries of secrets within its walls. For instance, the palace originally served as a fortress to protect the city from Viking attacks. Furthermore, during World War II, the curators emptied the entire museum and hid the masterpieces in the countryside to save them from the Nazis. Prepare to enter the glass pyramid of history.
Louvre
The Mona Lisa hangs in a bulletproof box for a reason. In 1911, an Italian handyman named Vincenzo Peruggia stole the painting by hiding in a broom closet overnight. He walked out with it under his coat the next morning, and the museum remained unaware of the theft for twenty-four hours.
A massive fortress lies beneath the museum. King Philippe Auguste built a castle on this spot in 1190 to defend Paris. You can still walk through the medieval moat and see the base of the original towers in the basement of the Sully wing today.
The Nazis used the Louvre as a clearinghouse for stolen art. During the occupation, Hermann Göring used the empty museum rooms to sort through thousands of artworks stolen from Jewish families. The “Monuments Men” later worked to return these pieces to their rightful owners.
Napoleon renamed the museum after himself. The emperor called it the “Musée Napoléon” and filled it with treasures he looted during his conquests across Europe. After his defeat at Waterloo, the museum had to return over 5,000 pieces to their original countries.
It would take you 100 days to see every piece of art in Louvre. If you spent just thirty seconds looking at each of the 380,000 objects on display, you would need three months of non-stop viewing. The collection spans from ancient civilizations to the mid-19th century.
The glass pyramid has the exact same proportions as the Great Pyramid of Giza. Architect I.M. Pei designed the structure to match the slope of the Egyptian monument perfectly. Despite this homage, many Parisians originally hated the modern design, calling it an “eye sore.”
A ghost supposedly haunts the Tuileries Garden nearby. Legend says a butcher named Jean l’Ecorcheur was murdered by Catherine de’ Medici to hide her secrets. His “Red Man” ghost allegedly appears before major tragedies occur in the palace.
Artists can enter for free to copy the paintings. The museum has a long tradition of allowing aspiring painters to set up easels in the galleries. They must follow strict rules, such as making their canvas a different size than the original to prevent forgery.
The museum employs a team of falconers. To protect the stone facade from corrosive pigeon droppings, the staff releases hawks and falcons to scare the birds away. This natural method keeps the exterior clean without harming the historic architecture.
66% of the paintings are by French artists. Although the museum houses global treasures, the vast majority of the collection highlights French culture. This includes masterpieces by Delacroix, David, and Géricault that define the nation’s history.
Someone smashed a teacup at the Mona Lisa. In 2009, a Russian woman threw a ceramic mug at the painting because the French government denied her citizenship. Fortunately, the bulletproof glass shattered the cup and protected the artwork completely.
The Ministry of Finance once occupied the Richelieu wing. Until 1993, government bureaucrats worked in the northern wing of the palace. President François Mitterrand eventually moved them out to reclaim the entire Louvre building for the display of art.
You can see the Code of Hammurabi here. This massive black basalt stele contains one of the oldest sets of laws in human history. It lists 282 rules and punishments, including the famous “eye for an eye” principle.
The museum owns a second location in Abu Dhabi. France signed a billion-dollar deal to loan the Louvre name and artworks to a new museum in the United Arab Emirates. This desert outpost features a stunning dome that filters sunlight like palm fronds.
Finally, the “Wedding Feast at Cana” is the largest painting in the museum. Veronese’s massive canvas covers an entire wall directly opposite the tiny Mona Lisa. Ironically, most tourists turn their backs on this giant masterpiece to take selfies with the small portrait.
