Archive for February, 2011

The origin of the Louvre goes back to the end of the 12th century, when Philippe Auguste, before leaving for the Third Crusade, had a fortress built near the river to defend Paris from the incursions of the Saxons (in fact the name Louvre seems to derive from the Saxon word “leovar”, meaning “fortified dwelling”): this original nucleus occupied about a quarter of the present-day Cour Carree. The king continued to live on the Cite, so that the fortress was used to contain the Treasury and the archives. In the 14th century, Charles V, knows as Charles the Wise, decided to make it his residence and had the famous Library constructed. But the kings did not live in the Louvre again until 1536, when Francois I, after having the old fortress knocked down, erected on its foundations a palace more in keeping with Renaissance tastes. Work proceeded under Henri II and Catherine de’ Medici, who gave Philibert Delorme the task of constructing the Tuileries Palace and uniting it to the Louvre by means of an arm stretching out towards the Seine. The modifications and extensions to the palace continued under Henri IV, who had the Pavilion de Flore constructed, and under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, who completed the Cour Carree and had the western facade with the Colonnade erected. In 1682, when the royal court was transferred to Versailles, work was virtually abandoned and the palace fell into such a state of ruin that in 1750 its demolition was even contemplated. But work on the palace, suspended during the Revolution, was resumed by Napoleon I: his architects, Percier and Fontaine, began building the north wing, finished in 1852 by Napoleon III, who finally decided to complete the Louvre. During the period of the Commune, in May 1871, the Tuileries Palace was burnt down and the Louvre assumed its present appearance. After the important Library of Charles the Wise had been dispersed, it was Franpois I who, in the 16th century, first began an art collection. This was considerably enclarged under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, so much so that by the death of the latter the Louvre was already used regularly for exhibitions of paintings and sculptures. On 10 August 1793 it was opened to the public and its gallery thus finally became a museum. From then on, the collection was continually enlarged: Napoleon I went so far as to demand a tribute in works of art from the nations he conquered. The objects listed in the museum’s catalogue today are subdivided into various sections: from ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman to Oriental works, from medieval to modern sculpture, and from the objets d’art such as those belonging to the Royal Treasury to the immense collections of paintings.

The Cite, centre of the city’s life since the 3rd century, was founded here on what was the largest of the islands in the Seine. It was the first settlement and first religious centre, and here were erected the Cathedral and the Palais de Justice. Numerous bridges link it to the banks of the Seine, along which run the picturesque “quais”. One of the most animated and colourful of the quays is the Quai de Montebello, extending between the bridges called Pont de I’Archeveche and Pont au Double: it is full of life and its parapets are lined with the typical “bouquinistes”, the sellers of rare and strange books and prints old and new.
PONT NEUF AND SQUARE DU VERT GALANT – Walking along the Quai St Michel and the Quai des Grands Augustins, we reach this bridge, which is the oldest in Paris, planned by Du Cerceau and Des llles: begun in 1578 under Henri III and completed under Henri IV in 1606, it has two slender round arches and in the middle of it is the equestrian statue of Henri IV. The square is reached by a stairway behind the statue of the king. It is the furthermost point of the Cite and one of the most beautiful parts of Paris.
PLACE DU PARVIS – Turning back along the celebrated Quai des Orfevres, we pass the headquarters of the Judicial Police at number 36 before reaching the Place du Parvis, which is the point from which road distances in France are measured: the bronze plaque in the centre of the square in front of the cathedral indicates the starting point for all the nation’s roads. On the north side of the square stands the grandiose Hotel-Dieu, a hospice founded in the 7th century but rebuilt between 1868 and 1878; on the west side is the headquarters of the Prefecture de Police. Overlooking the square is the imposing Notre-Dame, the cathedral of Paris.